Saudi exhibition traces kings’ bond with falconry through rare photographs, artifacts

RIYADH: A display at the Saudi International Falcons and Hunting Exhibition 2026 is tracing the royal family’s long relationship with falconry, a pastime deeply rooted in Saudi culture, through rare photographs and historic artifacts spanning decades. The “Shalayel” display opens with the founder, King Abdulaziz, and includes his falcon’s perch, a photo of him with companions at his camp near Riyadh, and a 1938 picture of his falconers holding their birds. A 1956 photograph shows King Saud with