Doha, Qatar: HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani crowned the winners of the championships of the 17th edition of the Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival, Marmi 2026, during a ceremony held yesterday at the festival venue in Sabkhat Marmi in Sealine, following the conclusion of the field competitions and the final round of the Haded Al-Tahaddi Championship, which featured 27 qualified participants.
At the start of the ceremony, HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, patron of the Marmi Festival, honored the Director of the Shared Services Department at the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund (Daam), Yousuf Mohammed Al Nuaimi. He then crowned the winners of the remaining field championships. The grand prize winners of the Haded Al-Tahaddi final, each receiving a Lexus vehicle, were Mohammed Ahmed Al Harbi of the UAE and Nasser Saeed Al Marri of Qatar.
In addition, Mohammed Jarrallah Al Nabet of Qatar and Team Al Shamsi of the UAE were crowned winners of the Haded Al-Tahaddi final, receiving an additional cash prize of QAR 100,000 each, matching the amount they had earned upon qualifying during the preliminary rounds.
In the Tal'a Championship, Ali Hassan Al Saei claimed first place, while the second and third places were withheld due to unsuccessful hunts. The first-place winner received a cash prize of QAR 300,000.
Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani also crowned the winners of the Local Da'w Championship across seven categories. In the "Free Farakh" category, Khalifa Mohammed Al Henzab secured first place, followed by Team Laffan in second and Sultan Hamad Al Humaidi in third. In the "Qarnass Jir" category, Hamad Abdullah Al Arjani claimed first place, Team Al Sheehaniya came second, and Team Al Zam finished third. In the "Qarnass Jir Shaheen" category, Mashoom Ali Al Nabti won first place, followed by Team Laffan and Team Al Zam.
In the "Free Qarnass" category, Team Al Sheehaniya secured first and third places, while Hamad Abdulhadi bin Naifa finished second. In the "Qarnass Shaheen" category, Team Al Zam took first place, Abdullah Saeed Al Marri came second, and Abdullah Amer Al Kaabi finished third. In the "Farakh Jir" category, Team Laffan claimed first and second places, while Abdullah Saeed Al Marri placed third. In the "Farakh Jir Shaheen" category, Hamad Abdullah Al Arjani swept the top three positions.
First-place winners in the seven Local Da'w rounds received QAR 200,000, second-place winners received QAR 100,000, and third-place winners received QAR 50,000.
In the International Da'w Championship, Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani crowned the top three winners across four categories. In the 'Free' category (Farakh and Qarnass), Suhail Saeed Al Kindi won first place, followed by Khaled bin Tuaiss Al Qahtani in second and Barghash bin Mohammed Al Mansouri in third.
In the International Da'w Jir and Qarmousha category, Suhail Saeed Al Kindi claimed all three top positions. He also secured first and third places in the Jir Shaheen and Jir Taba' category, while Mohammed bin Jaber Al Marri finished second. In the Qarnass Shaheen category, Humaid bin Mohammed Al Mansouri won first place, Imran Falih Al Nuaimi came second, and Faisal bin Nasser Jumaa placed third. First-place winners in each category received QAR 100,000, second-place winners QAR 70,000, and third-place winners QAR 50,000.
Sheikh Joaan also crowned the winners of the Elite Da'w Round, where Team Al Zam claimed first place, Abdullah Saeed Al Marri finished second, and Team Al Sheehaniya placed third. The first-place winner received QAR 300,000, the second QAR 200,000, and the third QAR 100,000.
In the Promising Falconer Championship in the categories of Taba', Shuweihina, and Jabalya, HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani crowned the top five winners: Ali Mohammed Al Marri, Ali Mohammed Al Assiri, Amer Abdullah Al Kaabi, Saeed Abdullah Ubaid, and Ali Jarrallah Al Ghayatheen.
In the Wakri, Koubaj, and Qarmousha categories, the top five winners were Imran Nasser Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Omair Al Nuaimi, Majid Mohammed Al Qahtani, Saleh Mohammed Jassim Sultan, and Mohammed Salem Al Nabti. The first-place winner in each category received QAR 25,000, second place QAR 20,000, third place QAR 15,000, fourth place QAR 10,000, and fifth place QAR 8,000.
The ceremony also witnessed the crowning of the winners of the Saluki Racing Championship. In the Mixed Breed (Males) category, Abdulrahman Ahmed Al Sulaity secured first place, Aman Majid Al Jassim came second, and Hassan Tareq Al Muftah finished third. In the Mixed Breed (Females) category, Abdulrahman Ahmed Al Sulaity won first place, Team Al Taqawi came second, and Abdulrahman Ahmed Al Sulaity also claimed third place.
In the Arabian Saluki category, Team Al Janoub claimed first place, Jumaa Saad Al Buainain finished second, and Team Rawdat Al Hamama secured third place. First-place winners in each category received QAR 100,000, second-place winners QAR 70,000, and third-place winners QAR 50,000.
Chairman of the Festival, Muteb bin Mubarak Al Qahtani praised the patronage and unlimited support provided by Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, highlighting his commitment to preserving this heritage. He congratulated all winners across the various championships of the Marmi Festival.
Al Qahtani affirmed that the 17th edition of the festival built on the success achieved over previous years, standing out in terms of organization, participation, and performance levels. He noted the high level of professionalism displayed by falconers across Tal'a, Da'w, and Haded Al-Tahaddi competitions, as well as the promising young falconers expected to carry the legacy of falconry forward.
He invited the public to attend the closing events of the festival with the Mazayin Championship at Katara tomorrow (Saturday), noting that the competing falcons in this event are among the rarest.
For his part, Deputy Director of the Festival, Abdulwahab bin Omair Al Nuaimi emphasized the remarkable success of this year's edition and extended his thanks to Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani for his continued patronage of the festival.
Director of the Shared Services Department at the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund (Daam), Yousuf Mohammed Al Nuaimi praised the heritage-rich atmosphere of the Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival, Marmi 2026, and its championships dedicated to preserving the tradition of falconry.
He affirmed that Daam's support for the Marmi Festival stems from the fund's leading role, alongside contributing and listed companies on the Qatar Stock Exchange, in supporting cultural activities in line with Qatar National Vision 2030. This support aims to strengthen Qatari cultural heritage, introduce younger generations to its importance, and reinforce Marmi's status as one of the region's most significant cultural events, organized by the Qatar Al Qannas Association since UNESCO's decision in November 2010 to inscribe falconry on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, reflecting the deep-rooted legacy of falconry and the preservation of ancestral traditions.
Award-winning competitors also praised the festival's atmosphere and ongoing efforts to entrench this authentic heritage within society, commending the organizing committee for providing an outstanding competitive environment that ensured equal opportunities for all falconers.
Meanwhile, the Mazayin Championship, which will conclude the Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival, Marmi 2026, tomorrow (Saturday), is expected to witness wide participation from falconers inside and outside Qatar. The competition focuses on falcon aesthetics and highlighting their authentic physical characteristics, amid high technical standards and notable diversity in participation.
Several participating falconers affirmed that the Mazayin Championship is the most important competition within Marmi, as it is a specialized event requiring different preparation compared to other championships, given its reliance on the aesthetic aspects of falcons, including feather completeness, color harmony, and purity of traits, which necessitate meticulous preparation and long-term care.
Participant Saad Issa Al Kaabi stated that he is competing in the White and Blonde Wild Free category and the Black and Dark Wild Free category, noting that preparation for Mazayin involves precise details and multiple techniques aimed at revealing the falcon's natural attributes and presenting its true plumage in the best possible form.
He added that participants exert significant effort in terms of care, preparation, and expenditure to present falcons that excel in aesthetics and compete for top positions, calling for the allocation of a Mazayin championship within the Katara Falcons and Hunting Exhibition to allow broader participation across events.
For his part, Saleh Ali Al Adhba, another Mazayin participant, confirmed that he began preparing early by meticulously conditioning the birds and purchasing falcons from several countries to select the best aesthetic specimens eligible for competition. He noted that the championship is primarily based on falcon beauty and the completeness of physical traits, requiring expertise and precision in selection and preparation.
In the same context, Hamad Abdulaziz Al Ajmi, a participant from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, praised the Marmi Festival and the Mazayin Championship, describing it as one of the most distinguished competitions in the region.
He explained that acquiring suitable falcons, particularly in the Free and Wild categories, is not an easy task due to their high prices and the difficulty of finding falcons with superior aesthetic qualities. He emphasized that Mazayin falcons undergo special preparation distinct from Da'wa falcons, receiving intensive care and being kept in designated environments to ensure optimal aesthetic readiness.
The Marmi Festival will conclude today (Saturday) with the Mazayin Championship at the Katara Cultural Village Foundation, Building No. 12.
