ADIHEX 2019 draws impressive turnout on opening day

WAM – The17th Edition of the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) 2019 was launched Tuesday with an impressive turnout on its opening day.

The event is held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region, and Chairman of Emirates Falconers’ Club and will continue until the 31st of August 2019.

The slogan for this year’s edition is "Together to Consolidate Sustainable Hunting Initiatives." As such, all the activities will highlight the definitions of sustainable hunting among a universal audience in order to underline the environmental balance between hunting and preserving various birds of prey.

The 17th edition combines 11 sectors and they are: Veterinary Products & Services, Hunting Guns, Media, Outdoor Leisure Vehicles and Equipment, Hunting Tourism and Safari, Arts and Crafts, Equestrian, Falconry, Fishing and Marine Sports, Hunting and Camping Equipment and the Promotion and Preservation of Cultural Heritage. This is in addition to the Arena that is dedicated to horse, camel, and dog shows.

Today there was a workshop that discussed the Illegal Trade in Birds of Prey that was held today on the sidelines of the initiatives of the exhibition. It was held in the presence of Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment; Majid Ali Al Mansouri, Secretary General of the Emirates Falconers’ Club and Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee of ADIHEX and Dr. Sheikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, and a number of local and international officials.

The workshop reviewed the mechanisms of the process and efforts taken by local and international institutions aiding the efforts of the International Association for Falconry and Emirates Falconers’ Club, who organised the workshop, to promote the elimination of illegal trade of birds of prey.

The workshop also showcased the decisions taken by the judiciary department that includes encouraging the reproduction of falcon families and using international scientific controls rather than depending on wild falcons. There were discussions and workshops with decision makers, researchers and specialists to find the right solutions to evade the illegal hunting of birds of prey. The workshop also aimed to address the challenges facing falconers interested in the preservation of the environment and sustainability of heritage and natural resources.

The workshop is held for the second time in Abu Dhabi to confirm the impact of Emirates Falconers’ Club in this field of work that encourages the sustainability of falcons. The Club has succeeded in a very short period to create a huge imprint in collaboration with efforts of international integration with a view to preserve falcons and all the associated risks linked to the subject.

In the current edition of ADIHEX there will be the ‘ADIHEX Awards’ for individuals and organisations contributing to the success of the exhibition after it has become an international activation that leads in the world of hunting, equestrian and heritage preservation. It is also a cultural forum for the world under one roof.

The exhibition is organising a Camel Auction in the arena during the five days of the exhibition. There will be female and male camels that have the ability to compete in races, with bidders participating from all around the world.

The exhibition is also organising an Art Auction that showcases very special artistic pieces and paintings by talented artists, while the visitors compete among themselves on their favorite pieces to own.

The Arts and Crafts sector will witness a competition for artists in the corner of the ‘Wall of Future Artists.’ This is an open competition for students from third grade and above. The wall will display all the successful participations and there will be a voting process on the best painting.

ADIHEX also hosts an Innovation Hub which is a platform for all amateurs, small companies, and anyone interested in hunting, equestrian, and falconry to showcase their special pieces. There will be various prizes for new inventions and creative hunting, equestrian, and falconry equipment.

During the show there is a daily Falcons Auction being held for the first time and runs throughout the five days of the exhibition starting with Tuesday the 27th until Saturday the 31st of August. Also present is the first International Dog Show in the UAE. This new show gives visitors and the audience an opportunity to watch more than 200 dog breeds.

The exhibition is also hosting various competitions and cultural and entertainment activities that are curated for visitors with prizes worth more than one million dirhams. Moreover, there are various activations and activities for children, such as workshops and games that include the Knowledge Corner. ADIHEX also highlights the Treasure Hunt that includes questions and answers on the Year of Tolerance designed to spread the culture of tolerance between children.

The event combines various platforms such as: the platform for choosing your favorite pet, the platform of workshops and seminars, the heritage platform, the tropical bird show as well as archery activities. Also available is the Abu Dhabi Animal Shelter Programme, the activations of open house for green and pet friendly buildings and the reading corner. For children, there is the puppet show, face painting corner, children’s photography corner, drawing on glass, pony riding corner, an educational cinema and Play With Fayoona. Other corners include communicating with nature, a virtual reality arcade and reality simulation corner and finally a Gymkhana corner for People of Determination.

On top of all this, the Higher Organising Committee confirmed that this edition of the exhibition that is the largest of its kind in hunting, equestrian, and preserving heritage in the region, was successful in attracting 650 companies and exhibitors from the region and the whole world. The participants are from 41 countries displaying the best of what the 11 sectors can offer across 40,000 square meters, with more than 50 activations and activities specially curated for participants and visitors.

The Organising Committee made some amendments to this current edition to expand the base of public participation and the main one was to change the date of exhibition to coincide with the summer vacation to motivate individuals and families to visit the exhibition with their children. The selected date was also chosen before the falconry hunting season so that falconers can be prepared by acquiring all their necessary equipment that they need from the sectors of the exhibition.

This edition of ADIHEX also offers permission for the first time to UAE Nationals who are over 21 years of age to own three pieces of weapons from the exhibition. This is in addition to the fact that any other nationality can also purchase weapons under the condition that they get previous permission, provide a license and a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their respective countries that clarifies the types and numbers of weapons allowed to be purchased.