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The 13th session of Abu Dhabi International Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX 2015), which is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Western Region and Chairman of the Emirates Falconers' Club (EFC), will contain several heritage competitions and important events, including "Photography Competition", "Drawing Competition", "Poetry Competition", and "Most Beautiful Falcons Competition".

The new session of Abu Dhabi International Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition will be held during the period starting from 9 to 12 September 2015, organized by the Emirates Falconers' Club, and supported by the Cultural Programs and Heritage Festivals Committee in Abu Dhabi, at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Mr. Abdullah Butti Al Qubaisi, Director of Abu Dhabi International Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX 2015), stated that such competitions have achieved wide Arab and international fame over the past sessions, designed to maintain the authentic heritage and traditions, as well as equally preserve and keep the environment and "sustainable hunting".

The Exhibition will organize in its new session a photography fair, narrating the success story of the Exhibition since its first session in 2003, with the participation of 40 companies from 14 countries on an area of 6000 m2, till its 12th session, which was held in 2014, with the participation of 640 companies from 48 countries on an area exceeding 40,000 m2.

The Cultural Programs and Heritage Festivals Committee in Abu Dhabi also organizes an exhibition of the most beautiful photographs taken by Agence France-Presse for many cultural and heritage events held in UAE, which gained worldwide attention in major newspapers and mass media, expressing the richness and diversity of authentic Emirati heritage.

Drawing and photography competitions, held within the activities of the Exhibition, have involved a high turnout of artists from UAE and all over the world. Such competitions are annually held and organized for the purpose of maintaining local heritage; highlighting the distinctive position and due care given to falcons and horses in UAE; as well as introducing generations to cultural, civilizational and environmental heritage related to their parents and grandparents, and the importance of its preservation. The photographs must be specifically taken and completed in 2015.

The competition is intended for all painters and photographers around the world, so that each artist can participate with one work of art characterized by creativity, excellence and high artistic sense.

The Most Beautiful Propagating (Hybrid) Falcons Competition has become widely world-renowned and attracted many participants who are keen to provide the best of their propagating (hybrid) falcons in farms in the region and the entire world. Furthermore, such competition has been recognized by regional and international entities and agencies concerned with maintaining heritage and environment, due to encouraging and stimulating falconers to maintain and preserve wild falcons.

The Competition includes the following categories: most beautiful Pure Gyr Falcon; most beautiful Gyr/Peregrine Falcon; most beautiful Gyr-Saker Flacon (3/4); most beautiful Pure Saker Falcon, in addition to the competition of the most beautiful stand dedicated for falcons and falconry accessories in the Exhibition.

This unique event highly stimulates falconers to use hybrid falcons as an alternative in falconry, and thus dispense with the use of wild falcons in the wild, allowing them to propagate more and more. Such hybrid falcons are intended for the owners of falcon-breeding farms in the Gulf Arab region and the world as a whole.

This year's Exhibition will also contain a distinct poetry competition, featuring the best poems contest, which describe birds and falconers. The value of the awards has been raised (to a total amount of AED150,000), and such awards are granted to the top ten winners as follows, "first place: AED50,000; second place: AED30,000; third place: AED20,000; fourth place: AED15,000; fifth place: AED10,000, along with an award of AED5,000 for each of the winners of 6th place up to 10th place."

The competition requires that the number of verses shall be 15 till 25 verse, and an audio recording will be made for the winning poems, along with holding a poetry night event. In addition, there are no restrictions imposed on age of participant poets.

It is also expected that Arabic Coffee Contest will attract and solicit massive participants, especially that it aims at restoring traditions related to making Arabic coffee, which is deemed a genuine symbol of hospitality and generosity in the Arab culture, in an attempt to revive an authentic tradition in UAE heritage, along with transferring this heritage to future generations.

Abdullah Al Qubaisi stressed that visitors and guests of Abu Dhabi will experience, over 4 days, UAE authentic heritage, where modern man can celebrate and commemorate the spirit of the old man, as such spirit is characterized by passion for survival and development with a beautiful lifestyle. Despite the old heritage and its lifestyle was quite burdensome, each of its moments were full of fun, suspense, adventure and curiosity. Its details and elements still exist nowadays, taking many different forms and patterns, but they are the same in essence and have not changed.

In a bid to highlight all of these elements, Abu Dhabi International Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX 2015) will take us back to the beautiful past throughout a journey allowing us to get acquainted with types of falcons, preserve the local heritage and define sports practised by parents and grandparents.

These competitions are held to enhance the keenness and care given by concerned entities and stakeholder to introduce generations to cultural, civilizational and environmental heritage of their parents and grandparents, as well as the importance of preserving the environment.

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