The International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (Abu Dhabi 2008) will be launched Wednesday, organizers of the event said.
The Exhibition, sponsored by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and President of the Emirates Falconers’ Club (EFC), is organized by the EFC in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), Sorouh Real Estate and Abu Dhabi Sports Council.
There will be 526 companies from 37 countries taking part at the event held at Abu Dhabi Exhibitions Centre until the 11th of October 2008, which constitutes a 22% increase compared with its last session, said Mohamed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and member of the EFC.
Mazrouei noted during a press conference in Abu Dhabi that the idea of balancing between heritage and the environment - which the Exhibition sets out to do - had always been advocated by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who was keen on ensuring the survival of endangered falcons.
Sheikh Zayed’s "sustainable hunting" slogan had been used as a motto for the previous sessions of the Exhibition.
Mazrouei stressed that the Exhibition was able to make leaps forward and great achievements, thanks to the promotional, marketing and media strategies that have been implemented within and outside the UAE.
There was an increase in the size of the space for exhibitors, where the exhibition space built and rented to exhibitors reached 18,376 square meters, an increase of more than 43% from the 12,775 square meters of the previous session. The overall area occupied by exhibitors at the current session that conduct all activities and events reached 28,512 square meters, compared to 22,232 square meters during the last session.
Mazrouei attributed the significant annual success of the Exhibition, including all its activities and events, to the unlimited support given by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
Mazrouei also noted the considerable effort made by the state of the UAE in the maintenance of the natural environment, and its breeding programs of houbara and falcons, which are threatened with extinction.
One of the major achievements of the internationally successful Exhibition is its promotion of using hybrid falcons instead of endangered wild birds, as part of its "sustainable hunting" strategy.
The Exhibition had attracted tens of thousands of visitors from around the world, and promoted Abu Dhabi as a unique place for tourists.
Many of the events that have proven successful in past sessions will be held during this year’s Exhibition, including beauty contests for falcons and saluki dogs; huge auctions for camels, horses and falcons; and competitions for research and invention as well as poetry, painting and photography.
A permanent security committee was set up for the Exhibition, tasked with overseeing licensing of hunting weapons, to ensure easing the paperwork in addition to raising awareness on the acquisitions of such weapons.
The committee and the General Command of Abu Dhabi Police have made all the preparations to provide the necessary security measures for the Exhibition.
The organizing committee was able to achieve a qualitative leap regarding the equestrian side, as it attracted major horse races in Europe to participate in the Exhibition of for the first time.
The Exhibition will witness new beauty contest for purebred Arabian horses below the age of 3 years, to encourage horse owners to produce better strains.
Visitors will also be attending the many exhibits of photographs, paintings and folklore performances, in addition to several distinct cultural events prepared by ADACH in accordance with its strategy to preserve the cultural heritage of Abu Dhabi, and contribute to making the event a heritage festival enjoyed by all citizens and residents in the UAE, and attracts tens of thousands of visitors from outside.
Mazrouei praised the distinguished efforts made by the media in highlighting the contribution of the Exhibition, in identifying the heritage of ancestors and the importance of preserving it for future generations, in parallel with the awareness of the importance of environmental conservation and application of sustainable hunting.
View News Headlines
