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The United Arab Emirates brought its knowledge and expertise to the Lekouassem Falconry Festival, which was held May 29-31 in Lekouassem municipality, 45 km away from the Moroccan city of El Jadida.

Obaid Khalfan Al Mazrouei, director of Al Dhafra Festival's Heritage Competitions, said that the UAEs participation in this third edition is part of our ceaseless efforts to help support Lekouassem Falconry Festival through the knowledge and expertise that we have acquired back home.

It is the UAEs second successive participation in the festival which has dramatically improved compared to the previous edition.

We seek to make this festival a social venue for the residents of Lekouassem village and also support Fantasia troops through financing the feed for their horses, said Mazrouei.

The Emirati delegation distributed financial aid kits and medicine on Moroccan falconers and explained their use in order to take good care of these birds of prey.

Overall the festival is evolving and was fruitful because we exchanged ideas and history. Next year, we will help organisers develop it further in order to attract more attention and tourists, he stressed.

The Emirati delegation handed some souvenirs to local authorities and Lekouassem association and contributed financially to the fantasia horse feed.

Mohammed Al Ghazouani, president of the Association of Lekouassem Ouled Fraj Falconers praised the UAEs efforts in supporting the festival both materially and morally and for bringing its expertise to the North African country.

The UAE is one of the worlds leading countries in falconry which was registered as an inscription on the UNESCOs Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in November 2010 after years of unabated international efforts led by the Gulf Arab country through coordination and cooperation with eleven Arab and foreign countries, including Morocco.

Ghazouani, who comes from a family of falconers, said that the aim of the festival is to attract tourists to the region besides its cultural role.

It is thanks to the UAE that the festival has become an international venue. Our association is working to become a member of the International Association for Falconry and the Conservation of Birds of Prey, he said.

When I was a kid, before my father brought the satellite dish to our house, I thought we were the only falconers in the world, added Ghazouani.

Falconry is believed to have been practiced in Morocco for over ten centuries.

Ghazouani cited the example of the ruler of Granada in Spain who sent a letter to Morocco in 1352 A.C thanking it for the presents which were falcons.

Falconry is a captivating hobby. Once you try it, you will fall in love in it, he said, adding that our aim in the future is a sustainable falconry.

IAF President Adrian Lombard, who attended the festival for the first time, said that it was wonderful to see the pride of the people in their culture.

Morocco is a member of the IAF, and we hope to strengthen this relationship further, said Lombard.

Many activities were held on the second day of the festival, including falconry, saluki race, fantasia and a painting workshop whose main theme was about the falcons.

A conference titled the Intangible Heritage and the Development was held at the pavilion to highlight the importance of falconry in Moroccos heritage and the need to preserve it.

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