AL- REEM FARM- A MEMORABLE AFTERNOON WITH THE FALCONS

Yesterday, a group of us including myself had the pleasure of visiting the Al -Reem farm situated approximately an hour and a half outside the city of Riyadh. It was a day spent hunting with the falcons. The farm belongs to a member of the Saudi Royal family in partnership with Mr. Mobarak, who is an MBA graduate from King Saud university. Mr. Mobarak resides in Riyadh city but he is undoubtedly a typical Bedouin at heart. He is a man who is very knowledgeable in the field of Falconry as he is a fifth generation falconer himself. Falconry has been a part of his ancestors lives and has been an art that has been taught and handed down from generation to generation.The farm is undoubtedly one of the biggest in Saudi Arabia expanding over a few kilometers of land. The farm caters for periodical camel racing, safaris and of course interacting with the falcons. The farm is also a home to many wild game animals like deer, antelope and cheetah to name a few. Guests who have a flare for hunting are allowed to hunt the deer within the estate as part of a culling program as the deer multiply in their thousands over a short space of time.

On arriving at the farm we were asked to disembark from the bus and step into the four by four vehicles that are conducive to the desert terrain. However, we had a really fun bus driver who was hell bent on driving the huge bus through the desert at full speed swaying from side to side to prevent the bus from getting stuck in the sand. It was like a roller coaster ride with butterflies in the tummy and fits of laughter as we drove over many sand dunes.We eventually arrived at the camp site. It was undoubtedly a breathtaking site to see. Elaborately decorated tents with clean bathroom and toilet facilities awaited us.The tents were decorated with expensive carpets , cushions and traditional Saudi furniture.

We were welcomed with traditional Arabic coffee (Qahwa), tea and an assortment of dates.Whilst having the welcome snacks we were given a brief talk on the history of falconry and how it has evolved from an art used by ancient civilizations to obtain food and was a part of their survival strategy to a fully fledged sport in today's times. We then took a walk out in the desert climbing sand dunes. The view from the top was simply magnificent. The solitude and peace that I feel whilst being in the desert is a feeling that I can not explain. Breathing in the fresh desert air with a crisp wind blowing against your skin makes you feel alive again. Whenever I'm in the desert my mind becomes flooded with hundreds of thoughts. I always imagine how it must have been at the time of the Prophet (saw).The people of that time used astronomy and the guidance of the stars to reach their desired destination and even today the Bedouins of the desert are able to decipher their direction through the science of studying the position of the stars.

After relaxing the in the desert and observing breathtaking landscapes we all gathered back at the camp to meet Khobaas (reckless) and shalwa (a mountain range in the north western frontier of Pakistan), the two beautiful falcons that Mr. Mobarak owns. A falcon can cost from anything between Sr5000 to Sr 2 million depending on the speed at which the bird hunts its prey and also depending on the type of bird in terms of species.The endangered ones are the most expensive. Khobaas is worth Sr150 000. The farm also has a program in place whereby falcon birds are rescued, trained and then rehabilitated to be set free into the wild again. Mr. Mobarak then took us further into the desert where he released the falcons and it was fascinating to see the speed at which the birds attacked their prey. Each falcon was attached to a telemetry radio wave device that allows the falconer to track down the birds and locate them in the event of the birds flying away out of reach whilst chasing its prey.Once the birds caught their prey they started devouring the kill almost immediately. Falconers use various techniques to train their birds. They would shout the bird's name repeatedly whilst it is eating and also touch the bird with various hand movements so that the bird recognizes its owner. After a few hours in the desert we returned to the camp where we watched the sun set. We then made a camp fire and whilst we all interacted around the fire Mr. Mobarak's chef prepared kabsa for us which is a traditional Saudi dish consisting of rice and chicken or rice and lamb meat. We then concluded dinner with freshly made ginger milk which is also a traditional drink that is usually drunk in the winter months. Ginger is said to be very good for chest ailments and also for individuals having pain in the knees.With the beaming moon above us and the stars shining bright we then bid our friends farewell and drove through the darkness of the night returning to the city only to be bombarded with the hustle and bustle of city life. How I wish I could experience the serenity and peace of the desert everyday.