HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani crowned the winners of the 17th Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2026) today, held in Sabkhat Marmi, Sealine. The awards ceremony followed the conclusion of the field competitions, including the final of the Haddad Al Tahadi Championship, which featured 27 qualified participants.
At the start of the ceremony, HE Sheikh Joaan, patron of the Marmi Festival, honoured the festival sponsor, represented by Yousef Mohamed al-Nuaimi, director of the Shared Services Department at the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund (Daam). He then proceeded to crown the winners of the remaining field championships.
The Grand Prize of the Haddad Al Tahadi Final, consisting of two Lexus vehicles, was awarded to Mohamed Ahmed al-Harbi from the United Arab Emirates and Nasser Saeed al-Marri. HE Sheikh Joaan also crowned the winners of the Haddad Al Tahadi Final: Mohamed Jarallah al-Nabet and Team al-Shamsi from the UAE. In addition to the prizes awarded during the qualifying rounds, the winners of the final received an extra cash prize of QR100,000.
In the Al Talaa Championship, HE Sheikh Joaan crowned Ali Hassan al-Saai as the first-place winner. The second and third places were withheld as the competitors could not complete the hunt. The first-place winner received a cash prize of QR300,000.
Winners of the Local Da’aw Championship were crowned across seven categories, with first-place winners receiving QR200,000, second place QR100,000, and third place QR50,000 in each round. In the International Da’aw Championship, top three winners in four categories were awarded QR100,000, QR70,000, and QR50,000 respectively. Winners of the Elite Round received QR300,000 for first place, QR200,000 for second, and QR100,000 for third.
The Promising Falconer Championship awarded prizes ranging from QR25,000 for first place to QR8,000 for fifth place. Winners of the Saluki Racing Championship in all categories received QR100,000 for first place, QR70,000 for second, and QR50,000 for third.
Muteb bin Mubarak al-Qahtani, chairman of the Marmi Festival, praised the patronage and unwavering support of HE Sheikh Joaan, congratulating all winners. He highlighted the festival’s professionalism across all competitions and the achievements of promising young falconers. He also invited the public to attend the festival’s closing event, the Mazayin (Falcon Beauty) Contest, at Katara today, noting that the competing falcons are among the rarest.
Abdulwahab bin Omair al-Nuaimi, deputy director of the Marmi Festival, confirmed the outstanding success of this year’s edition and extended congratulations to all winners. Yousef Mohamed al-Nuaimi of Daam emphasised that the festival preserves Qatar’s falconry heritage, aligning with Qatar National Vision 2030 and Unesco’s recognition of falconry as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The Marmi Festival will officially close today with the Al Mazayin Contest at Katara Building No. 12.
