Doha – Marmi Festival
The registration process for the Qatar International Falconry and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2026) in its seventeenth edition began on Sunday evening, December 21, and will continue for three days at the headquarters of the Qatari Falconry Association in the Katara Cultural Village Foundation (Building No. 33). .
The Supreme Organizing Committee of the Qatar International Falconry and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2026) has designated the Burqaa building for registration in the Haddad Challenge Championship. Meanwhile, the halls on the ground floor of the Al Qannas Association headquarters have been allocated for registration in the other championships (Al Da’wa, Al Tala’a, and Saluki Racing).
The Marmi International Festival aims to preserve the heritage and emotional values of this sport inherited from fathers and grandfathers, in addition to its importance in the literature of Arab folk heritage, especially the Gulf and Qatari heritage. .
Mr. Mutaib Mubarak Al-Qahtani, Director of the Al Qannas Association Championships and Head of the Marmi Festival, stated that the festival is held annually under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani and has become a prominent event in the Al Qannas Association’s efforts to preserve Qatari and Gulf heritage. It attracts a large audience, both in terms of participants in its various championships and competitions, and in terms of public attendance, including Qataris, residents, and foreign tourists. For them, it represents an important opportunity to learn about this rich heritage amidst an atmosphere of fun, excitement, and challenge. .
Mr. Al-Qahtani explained that the first two days (December 21st and 22nd) were designated for registration in the Saluki Racing Championship. He added that registration for the Haddad Challenge, Talaa, and Da’wa Championships is open from the first day until the last day of registration (December 23rd), due to the high demand for these championships. He noted that online registration for Da’wa and Talaa is open from December 18th to the 22nd until 11:00 PM. .
The head of the Marmi Festival indicated that registration for the Promising Falconer Championship will be at the festival headquarters in Sabkhat Marmi in Sealine. The date for the participation of the promising falconers will be determined when the number of registrants in the festival as a whole is tallied, and the draw is conducted for the competitors in all the festival championships. The organizing committee is keen to have the largest number of young people participate and has allocated valuable prizes for them . He pointed out that the participation of the promising falconers in their championship is usually determined during their weekly school holiday.
Mr. Mutaib bin Mubarak Al-Qahtani noted that the organizing committee of the Qatar International Falconry and Hunting Festival had opened early registration for the Haddad Al-Tahadi Championship at the headquarters of the Qatari Falconers Association in the Katara Cultural Village Foundation, from November 17 to 19, in order to alleviate pressure on registration, which began on December 21, especially since this championship is witnessing record numbers of falconers participating. .
The director of the Al Qannas Association’s tournaments and head of the Marmi Festival called on participants to arrive early at the association’s headquarters to register or complete the registration process for those who had already done so electronically. .
For their part, several participants praised the ease and smoothness of registration, the excellent organization, and the simplified procedures. They emphasized that the Marmi Festival is a source of pride for every falconer to participate in its championships, given its local, regional, and international standing. They expressed their gratitude to the festival’s organizing committee and its members for facilitating and simplifying the registration process. .
In this regard, falconer Abdulaziz Ali Al-Marri said : “After a break from participating for ten years, I will participate in the seventeenth edition of the Marmi Festival in the Al-Tala’a Championship, with a falcon that I acquired a year ago. I am a follower of the festival’s events every year, and its reputation is good, and its atmosphere is wonderful. Success is first and foremost from God Almighty.”
For his part, falconer Abdulhadi Hussein Al-Marri said: “I will participate in the Al-Tala’a Championship with one falcon, which I trained and prepared two months ago. Its flight time in training is less than a minute, and this is what is required of the falcon in this type of competition.”
For his part, falconer Shafie Ali Al-Fahida explained that he will participate with three falcons in the Al-Tala’a competition at the Qatar International Falconry and Hunting Festival.
He added: “The Marmi Festival, as it has accustomed us to, develops year after year. It preserves the ancient falconry heritage that every Qatari household is proud of, noting that the festival brings together the elite of falconers from Qatar, the Gulf, and a number of other countries.”
As for the falconer Mubarak Hamad Al-Jarbu’i, he indicated that he will participate in the Haddad Al-Tahadi Championship with one falcon, stressing that success is from God, and he said: “The Marmi Festival lasts for a whole month, and we look forward to it every year. We thank those in charge of it, and our words do not do justice to this festival that celebrates the heritage of falconry and its preservation.”
It is worth noting that the Marmi Festival, held with the support of the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund (Daam), includes several championships and competitions, most notably: Al-Talaa, which specializes in falconry for hunting houbara bustards; Al-Da’wa, a speed race between falcons comprising several rounds; Haddad Al-Tahadi, a challenge between peregrine falcons and homing pigeons; the Saluki Racing Championship; and the Promising Falconer Championship, among other competitions that the public eagerly anticipates annually. .
It is worth noting that the festival has great value in preserving the heritage of falconry and traditional hunting in Qatar. .
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