It was a familiar scene at Abu Dhabi’s falcon auctions, where the bird on display is only part of the spectacle.
For several long minutes, a striking white falcon stood on the auction stand in Abu Dhabi as the Dh20,000 opening bid went unanswered.
The auctioneer repeatedly called for offers, encouraging bidders to take advantage of the opportunity before the bird became harder to find. Eventually, a Dh21,000 bid broke the silence, followed by Dh22,000, Dh23,000 and a series of small increments.
Then the bidding picked up pace. Offers rose to Dh30,000 before stalling again at Dh32,000 and Dh33,000. The price eventually reached Dh38,000, with the auctioneer repeatedly turning to the room, cameras and online bidders to keep the competition going.
It was a familiar scene at Abu Dhabi’s falcon auctions, where the bird on the stand is only part of the spectacle.
The white Jeer Pure from YSL Farm was the first of six falcons auctioned on Sunday night at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi. Together, the birds fetched Dh326,000.
The night’s biggest sale followed soon after, as a UAE-produced Qarmousha Pure from Bheiran Farm saw its opening bid of Dh20,000 soar to Dh200,000.
Auctioneer Khalid bin Saifan Al Muhairi — who himself paid Dh250,000 for a Jeer Pure Super White at Saturday’s opening auction — kept the crowd engaged with a mix of humour, salesmanship and reminders of each bird’s potential on the competition circuit.
When the locally produced Qarmousha Pure took the stand, he highlighted its strong record in local competitions and encouraged bidders to support UAE-bred falcons.
“Production from the UAE,” he repeatedly told the crowd, pointing to the bird’s previous performances and its potential role in upcoming competitions.
He also urged bidders to focus on the falcon’s qualities rather than its price, asking the cameraman to zoom in on its build, feathers and talons so those watching could get a closer look.
As the bids continued to rise, he told the audience that the bird had been carefully selected and inspected before being presented for sale.
The Dh200,000 sale ultimately became the standout moment of the evening.
Khalid’s own purchase from the previous evening, however, remained a talking point.
The Jeer Pure Super White he bought for Dh250,000 had caught his attention for its bloodline, rare white colouring and versatility. He said the bird’s pure Jeer lineage was particularly valuable because pure falcons are used to produce hybrids, while its distinctive colouring made it especially rare.
“It is a bird that can do everything,” he said, describing it as suitable for hunting, racing and beauty competitions.
He had initially been prepared to bid even higher. “I had put Dh350,000 for it,” he said.
Khalid said his approach to auctions was straightforward: if he needed a bird and it was difficult to find, he would continue bidding, but he would not spend the same amount on something he already owned.
“If we need something and we find it, we won’t stop at Dh1 million,” he said.
A family legacy
Khalid’s passion for falconry runs in his family. He said he inherited the interest from his father and grandfather, with his father travelling to Pakistan in 1983 in connection with the sport.
For Khalid, however, falconry is about more than competition and breeding.
He said one of the most important lessons falcons had taught him was patience, describing them as intelligent creatures capable of communicating with their handlers without speaking.
He recalled a hunting trip when his falcon chased a rabbit into thick bushes. After the rabbit disappeared beneath a tree, the falcon struggled to locate it and continued searching, prompting Khalid to jokingly point out where the rabbit had gone.
“I looked at a group of old men and told them, we communicate as if he were a human — only he doesn’t speak,” he recalled.
The auction continued in the same spirit, with a lively mix of bidding and banter.
A locally produced Jeer Taba from Bheiran Farm, distinguished by its hazel-striped chest and black wings, opened at Dh10,000 before selling for Dh13,000. A British Jeer Pure from KH Falcon Team climbed from Dh10,000 to Dh30,000, while a British white Qarmousha Pure fetched Dh23,000.
Another UAE-produced Jeer Pure from Bheiran Farm sold for Dh22,000.
The auction was the second of eight being held as part of the 23rd Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX). Four auctions are scheduled before the exhibition opens, with four more to take place during the event, which runs from August 28 to September 6.
The auctions bring together breeders, falconers and enthusiasts, with bidders competing both in person and online for birds from local and international bloodlines.
For Khalid, however, the thrill ultimately comes down to recognising the value of the falcon on the perch.
“There is supply and demand,” he said. “If it is something we need and we find it, we will not let it go.”
