final report

One of the oldest sport in U.A.E which I have chosen for the purpose of discussion is “falconry”. My primary reason for doing that is firstly due to its cultural significance to the U.A.E and secondly the way it has transformed over a period of time from its actual purpose into a modern day sport. It can also be observed that falconry was seen as an essential part of desert life for several centuries. Falconry in the olden days was not really a sport, this goes back to more than 40 years ago. Typically speaking, falconry was seen to be used originally for practical purposes, this came down to feeding the families, i.e. supplementing the meager diet of milk, bread and dates. There is no denying that falconry is significant to the traditional life and culture of U.A.E, this clearly displays the Bedouin passion for such a sport. Within a traditional context, falcon in Arabic is referred to as “Saqr”; this is a bird which is popularly adored by Arabs due to the appealing beauty, disposition, sharp eyesight and magnificence. 

On the other hand, the term ‘falconry’ is known as ‘Al Qanas’ in the U.A.E dialect.

With regards to the interview conducted with my grandfather regarding falconry, I was interested in knowing his experience, knowledge and more about the olden days of falconry. He spoke greatly about the greatness of falconry as a sport and as a means of feeding families during the olden days. Patience was needed to practice such a sport back then and even now. This was followed by strength and endurance. My grandfather explained to me that there was a great deal of hard work that went into working with falcons. “It was not an easy task, he explained, you needed courage and patience since it was important to tame the falcon and making the falcon obey the trainer was a must.”