ADIHEX dedicates its third day to preservation with the help of UNESCO

ADIHEX, the most important international exhibition of hunting and equestrian art in the Middle East and Africa, is continuing in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. On this third day, several conferences on the conservation of natural areas and species are being organised. 

In the morning, Stephan Wunderlich and Sabrina Dietz will talk about the contribution of hunters to environmental sustainability. Afterwards, UNESCO is organising two lectures focusing on the conservation of falcon species and falconry. Finally, in the afternoon, ADIHEX will be visited by representatives of several indigenous peoples who treat falconry with special respect. They are members of communities from Mongolia, Tunisia, Georgia and Kazakhstan.  A presentation by the Youth of International Falconry Organisations will close the conference day. 

Another highlight of the programme was an important falcon auction held in hall B of ADIHEX. The price of an Emirati gyrfalcon can be around 10,000 Emirati dirhams, but it can easily escalate depending on its characteristics and training. 

In parallel to these events, 28 September is dedicated to honouring the work of the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFCH), the international organisation dedicated since 1990 to the conservation of houbara bustard species around the world. 

The Houbara bustard is an animal of special significance in the Arab world. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the first captive breeding of houbara bustards in the United Arab Emirates. Mohamed Al Baidani, Director General of the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFCH), spoke at the commemoration. "Our pioneering work at IFHC has paid off, as we are making progress in pushing the boundaries of conservation through ongoing work in genetics and captive breeding. From heeding the call of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to recognising the need to save the Houbara bustard, our collective work has improved the status of the species from endangered to vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. We have also reached important milestones in raising awareness of the Houbara bustard," said Al Baidani during his speech at the Dubai Expo. 

Since 1996, the IFCH has released more than half a million Houbara Bustards around the world into the wild. According to studies carried out by the IFCH, captive-bred Houbara bustards follow the same migration routes as wild bustards, adapting well to the natural environment. 

Over the next few days, until Sunday 2 October, ADIHEX will continue its programme of events and activities held inside the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. According to the organisers, more than a hundred live shows, workshops and activities will take place during ADIHEX throughout its week-long duration. 

The first celebration of this important fair took place in 2003, and since then it has brought together up to 1,750,000 visitors and Arabian game enthusiasts. In 2021, despite pandemic restrictions, 105,000 visitors from 120 different countries passed through the ADIHEX halls.

All indications are that this year's ADIHEX will replicate the success of previous years.