Falcons receive first class treatment in the UAE

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Europe

01:05

‍As a national symbol of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the golden falcon featured on the country emblem has a strong and close relationship with Emirati men and plays a crucial role in the traditional culture of the UAE.

Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) /VCG Photo

Traditionally, falcons have been a hunting company of the Bedouin in the desert, thanks to their excellent eyesight – 2.6 times as strong as that of a normal person – falcons can dive at an astonishing speed of 320 km/h. Now, the fastest animals on Earth are mainly kept as pets or used for sports in the Middle East.

According to the International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey, over 50 percent of the world's falconers nowadays are in the Middle East. In 2012, the sport of falconry was included by UNESCO in its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

A falcon rests on the gloved hand of a falconer. /VCG Photo

Deemed as the embodiment of courage, perseverance, determination and freedom, falcons in the UAE receive first class treatment. Since 2002, they have had their own passports and, given that each falcon worth as much as one million U.S. dollars, this passport program is used to protect them from smugglers.

Normally, the hooded falcons can travel with their masters on commercial airlines provided by Emirates and Qatar Airway. German airline Lufthansa even equips them with a specially designed “Falcon Master” tray, which is a stable bird perch that connects to standard aircraft seat tracks.

Falcon with falcons hood at a falcon show in the United Arab Emirates /VCG Photo

At the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital in the capital city of the UAE, falcons receive basic care and surgeries if needed. Opened in 1999, it is the world's largest hospital for falcons, and over 110,000 birds have been treated here. Sick falcons can even receive endoscopic and X-rays examinations at the intensive care station.

The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital provides the highest quality care, consistent with identifiable health care needs of falcons and other birds of prey. /VCG Photo

The falcons of the Middle East lead lives of luxury. As more wealth has flown into the Middle East over the past half-century, the traditional falconry industry has grown exponentially and gained new vitality. As a result, the falcon has been increasingly important to the country's national identity.