It has been one of the authentic hunting practices using birds of prey in the Arabian Peninsula since the tenth century BCE. It was developed through the traditions and lifestyles of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, becoming a cultural and artistic heritage.
In falconry, trained birds of prey are used to hunt wild animals, guided by a trainer known as a falconer. The term 'al-Megnaus' refers to the wild hunting trip.
The first Saudi club to preserve the tradition of falconry is the Saudi Falcons Club, and it organized the King Abdulaziz International Falconry Festival in August 2019. The club later introduced an annual falcon auction, held for the first time in October 2020. In 2012, falconry was registered as a living human heritage on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
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