JEDDAH: Three falcons sold for a combined SR369,000 (about $98,400) on the 10th night of the well-attended National Falcon Center Auction 2026 in Riyadh, which runs until Nov. 30.

On Tuesday night, the first bird, a juvenile peregrine falcon trapped in Haradh by Fahad Sultan Al-Marri, Hamad Nafal Al-Marri and Abdullah Al-Saiari, was sold for SR118,000 after bidding opened at SR50,000.

A second juvenile peregrine, trapped in Rafha by Saad and Hamad Mohammed Al-Shammari, Abdulaziz Aqla Al-Shammari and Mohammed Hamad Al-Shammari, sold for SR171,000, with bidding starting at SR80,000.

The evening concluded with the sale of a juvenile peregrine trapped by 11 trappers in Al-Hamad, near Arar, for SR80,000.

The combined proceeds fell short of the price paid for this season’s most expensive falcon, a juvenile peregrine named Umm Khansar, which fetched SR375,000 on the eighth night.

Trapped in the Arar area by seven trappers, the bird attracted an opening bid of SR110,000. Another juvenile peregrine, named Al-Hilwah, sold for SR221,000 this season.

Over the past three seasons, the highest price paid for a locally trapped juvenile peregrine has ranged from about SR360,000 to SR400,000.

In 2024, a juvenile peregrine fetched SR400,000 on the sixth night, setting the auction record for a bird of its type. The highest price in 2025 was SR361,000, recorded on the 17th night after bidding opened at SR100,000.

Most falcons sell for considerably less, with prices up to SR150,000. A juvenile peregrine sold for SR106,000 during an earlier edition.

The auction accepts only juvenile migratory peregrine falcons trapped within the Kingdom. Adult peregrines and saker falcons are excluded to support their conservation and preserve their bloodlines.

Locally trapped birds are accepted over a two-month period, while auction sessions are broadcast on television and the center’s social media accounts.

The center provides services for trappers throughout the trapping season. Regional teams receive falcon owners, while the center arranges accommodation and transport to the auction venue, where the birds are offered through live competitive bidding.

This year’s auction is the first being held under the National Falcon Center as an independent entity.

Regulations issued in May 2026 granted the center public legal status and financial and administrative independence, linking it organizationally to the prime minister. The center is headquartered in Riyadh and may establish branches within the Kingdom and abroad.

The regulations replaced the Saudi Falcons Club’s organizational arrangements, issued under Cabinet Resolution No. 214, dated 2019.

The center’s responsibilities include organizing events and auctions, managing falcon release programs, administering allocated land and reserves, supporting research and representing the Kingdom in its field.

Its board includes representatives from the ministries of interior, sport, culture, and environment, water and agriculture.