DUBAI, 2 November 2006 — Visitors and tourists to Dubai have shown great enthusiasm at the newly opened National Falcon Center at Nad Al-Sheba.
Mohammed Abdul Karim Julfar, assistant director general of Dubai Municipality for Financial and Properties Affairs, said as much as 80 percent area of the 16-million-dirham center is now occupied.
The municipality-run facility, which is expected to act as a center for specialized trade and tourism in the UAE and the Middle East, is an ideal place for all activities related to falconry. The center has a falcon souk comprising 20 shops for traders and breeders.
The center, spread over an area of 27,500 square meters, is located on Muscat Road near the Camel Race Track and Camel Souk.
Built in the traditional architectural pattern, the shops surrounding the area are covered by a huge tent.
The souk, which also has a model of a traditional well, is distinctively attractive due to the provision of different characteristics of a traditional market. The center has a small mosque, a cafeteria and gift shops, in addition to an area for training in falconry. The entire area, including the covered courtyard and the public area, is centrally air-conditioned.
The center also includes an exhibition and a museum featuring the history of falcons in three halls and another hall for 3D shows and light and sound shows.
Falconry being a sport practiced by Middle Eastern rulers, the first hall showcases its history in the region.
The second hall is dedicated to the life and breeding of falcons and the wide variety of falcons used for hunting. The 3D film hall focuses on the modern and traditional methods of falcon hunting in the UAE, its heritage, and training.
A fourth hall provides information about falcon breeding, attending to the health of falcons and bringing them up in cages.
