UAE National Bird: The Falcon, Its Meaning and Price
Why the falcon carries the UAE's identity, and how to bring one to your event with a licensed handler.
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Published 5 November 2026, 8 minute read, Bella Entertainment
The UAE national bird is the falcon. The saker falcon is the species most often cited in official symbolism, though the peregrine falcon, the fastest animal on earth in a hunting dive, carries equal cultural weight. The falcon represents Bedouin hunting heritage, hospitality and a partnership between bird and handler that UNESCO lists as intangible cultural heritage. For events in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, a licensed handler can bring a falcon for a meet and greet or flying display, with prices running from AED 1,500 to AED 8,000.
- UAE national bird name: saker falcon or peregrine falcon
- Falcon UAE national bird: why it was chosen
- Where the national bird of UAE appears: emblem, currency, Etihad
- Falconry heritage and UNESCO recognition
- Where to see the national bird in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
- Booking a falcon show for your event
- Falcon show prices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
- Permits and welfare rules
- FAQ
UAE national bird name: saker falcon or peregrine falcon?
There is no separate common name beyond "falcon." When people search for the UAE national bird name, what they usually want is which species, and the honest answer is that two share the title in practice. The saker falcon is the bird most often cited in official government symbolism and on heritage material. The peregrine falcon holds equal standing in Emirati and wider Gulf culture, partly because it was the preferred hunting bird for generations of Bedouin falconers and partly because it is the fastest animal on the planet in a hunting dive, reaching speeds that no other living creature matches.
Neither bird is unique to the UAE. Both species range across large parts of Asia, Europe and Africa. So the national bird of UAE name is not about a bird found nowhere else, it is about a bird whose behaviour and history matched the story the country wanted to tell about itself. That distinction matters if you are briefing a handler for an event, because clients sometimes assume "falcon" means one specific bird, when in fact a handler may bring a saker, a peregrine, or a hybrid depending on availability and what look you want.
Falcon UAE national bird: why it was chosen
The falcon national bird of UAE status traces back to necessity, not decoration. Before oil, Bedouin tribes across the Arabian Peninsula relied on trained falcons to hunt houbara bustard and hare, adding protein to a diet the desert could not otherwise support. A skilled hunting falcon was worth more than a herd of livestock to the family that owned it. Training one took months of patient, daily handling, and the bond between bird and falconer was treated as a point of personal pride.
That history is the real reason the falcon UAE national bird symbol stuck. Speed, discipline and loyalty to a handler became a shorthand for the qualities the UAE wanted attached to its modern identity: precision, resilience and a working partnership built on patience rather than force. Guests at events genuinely ask handlers this question, so it is worth knowing the answer rather than guessing at it on the day.
Where the national bird of UAE appears: emblem, currency, Etihad
The falcon sits on the UAE's national emblem, above a disc bearing the seven emirates and a scroll carrying the country's name in Arabic. It appears on government letterhead, military insignia and passports, and it has featured on UAE currency and coinage issued over the decades. It is also the namesake of Etihad Airways' loyalty programme, Etihad Guest, and shows up in the airline's branding more broadly.
Outside government use, the bird is everywhere in Dubai's private sector too: hotel lobby sculptures, mall centrepieces, corporate logos and gala stage backdrops all lean on it as instant visual shorthand for Emirati heritage. That is exactly why event planners keep asking for a live falcon instead of a prop. A trained bird on a handler's glove reads as authentic in a way a sculpture cannot.
Falconry heritage and UNESCO recognition
Falconry, the practice of training a bird of prey to hunt in partnership with a human handler, is inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The listing is multi-national, including the UAE alongside Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Morocco, Mongolia and several other countries, and it recognises falconry as a living tradition rather than a museum piece. It is still practised, taught and passed down within Emirati families today, and the UAE has pushed actively for its international recognition.
Falcons in the UAE are registered and microchipped, and hunting trips are organised with strict regard for the houbara bustard population, which was over-hunted in past decades. Modern Emirati falconry sits somewhere between sport, heritage practice and status symbol. A well-bred, well-trained falcon can carry a price running into hundreds of thousands of dirhams at specialist auctions, and top birds fly with GPS trackers in case they are lost mid-hunt.
Where to see the national bird in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
If you want to understand the bird before booking one for an event, a few places let you see falcons up close outside a private hunting context. Dubai Falcon Hospital, one of the largest falcon hospitals in the world, runs guided tours where visitors watch veterinary treatment, moulting and general falcon care. Heritage villages and museums in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, including sections of Al Shindagha and Qasr Al Hosn, feature falconry displays and handler talks as part of their cultural programming.
The Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in Abu Dhabi runs falconry demonstrations and competitions seasonally, alongside camel racing and traditional crafts, and desert camps used for tourist safaris around Dubai frequently include a falcon handler as part of the evening programme. These are good reference points if your event brief calls for something "authentic, like what I saw at the heritage village." Tell your handler that reference and they will know exactly the tone you mean.
Booking a falcon show for your event
A falcon show for events in Dubai and Abu Dhabi typically takes one of three formats. The first is a static meet and greet: a handler stands with a hooded or unhooded falcon on a leather glove near your entrance or step and repeat, and guests take photos, often with the bird briefly transferred to their own gloved hand. This is the most common booking for corporate events, product launches and hotel VIP welcomes because it needs no dedicated space and runs around a fixed schedule.
The second is a flying demonstration: the handler releases the falcon to fly to a lure or a second handler across a marked distance, with commentary on hunting behaviour and wing speed. This needs open outdoor space and suits desert venues, golf courses, large villa gardens and beach clubs more than an indoor ballroom. The third is a themed cultural corner, pairing a falcon with an Arabic coffee station and dates service, sometimes with a saluki dog, built as a heritage photo zone for gala dinners and national day events. This pairs naturally with other heritage acts, an Emirati folk dance troupe, or a belly dancer once the welcome activation winds down, for a fuller entertainment run. For a full breakdown of what pairs well by event type, see our guide to corporate event entertainment in Dubai.
Whichever format you choose, confirm whether the bird is a saker or peregrine, since some clients specifically request one for branding reasons, and ask for the handler's falconry licence details in advance so venue security and permit teams can clear it without delay on the day.
Falcon show prices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Prices vary by handler experience, number of birds, event duration and whether the booking includes a flying demonstration or a static meet and greet only. As a rule of thumb, a simple one-falcon meet and greet starts from AED 1,500, while a full heritage package with multiple birds, a flying demonstration and a themed coffee corner can run up to AED 8,000. Confirm exact pricing for your date and venue, since peak season, roughly November to March, and weekend gala dates carry a premium.
| Format | What is included | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Static meet and greet, one falcon | Handler, one bird, photo opportunities near entrance, no flying | From AED 1,500 |
| Full heritage package | Multiple birds, flying demonstration, themed coffee and dates corner, extended booking | Up to AED 8,000 |
Most bookings include the handler, the bird or birds, basic setup near your entrance or activation zone, and standard liability cover for the handler's side. Travel outside Dubai and Abu Dhabi city limits, additional birds, extended hours and a saluki dog add-on are usually quoted separately. Ask for these as line items on your quote so there are no surprises against the final invoice. If you are organising a public activation yourself, our breakdown of DET event permit costs in Dubai covers what public activations need on top of the handler's own wildlife documentation.
Permits and welfare rules for events
Falcons used for commercial events in Dubai must travel with a licensed handler holding the correct falconry and wildlife permits, since falcons fall under UAE wildlife protection regulation regardless of whether the bird was captive bred. For events open to the public or ticketed, your venue or agency will usually also need a standard entertainment permit from Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism, formerly DTCM, or from the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, in addition to the handler's own animal permit. Private events on private property, such as a villa garden birthday, generally do not need the public entertainment permit, but the handler's wildlife documentation is still required.
Reputable handlers also work under welfare limits: falcons are not kept out in direct midday heat for extended periods, flying demonstrations are avoided in high winds or heavy rain, and a bird showing signs of stress is withdrawn from the activation regardless of the schedule. If your event brief is tight on timing, tell your agency this at the booking stage so the falcon slot is scheduled for early morning or evening, which also tends to produce better photographs.
The most expensive mistake: booking an unlicensed handler
The single costliest error we see is a client booking a falcon handler through an informal contact with no wildlife permit or falconry licence, only to have venue security or an inspector stop the activation on the day. By that point you have paid a deposit and guests are already arriving, with no time to source a licensed replacement. Always ask for the handler's licence number up front and have your agency confirm it directly, not just accept a photo of a permit sent over WhatsApp.
Send us your event date, venue and expected headcount on WhatsApp at +971 50 541 7318 and we will come back with a falcon show quote, or a combined heritage package, within one working day. You can also browse our full range of acts or get in touch through our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the national bird of UAE?
The national bird of UAE is the falcon. The saker falcon is most commonly cited in official symbolism, while the peregrine falcon also carries equal cultural status in Emirati tradition. The falcon represents Bedouin hunting heritage and qualities of speed, discipline and precision, and it appears on the UAE's national emblem, currency and in branding such as Etihad Airways.
What is the UAE national bird's name?
There is no separate common name beyond "falcon." The species most often cited is the saker falcon, with the peregrine falcon holding equal historical weight because it was the preferred hunting bird among Bedouin falconers for generations. Neither species is unique to the UAE, which is why the title rests on history and symbolism rather than rarity.
Is the falcon the national bird of UAE?
Yes, the falcon is the national bird of UAE. It was adopted because of its historic role in Bedouin falconry, where trained birds hunted houbara bustard and hare to support desert communities before oil wealth. Its speed, loyalty and disciplined partnership with a handler became shorthand for qualities the UAE attaches to its own national identity.
Why is the falcon the national symbol of the UAE?
The falcon became the UAE's national symbol because it represents survival skills central to pre-oil Bedouin life. A trained falcon added protein to the desert diet through hunting houbara bustard and hare, and a good hunting bird was worth more than livestock. That history of patience, partnership and precision became attached to the modern national identity.
Are there multiple UAE national birds?
Officially there is one national bird, the falcon, but two species share the cultural title in practice. The saker falcon appears most often in government symbolism, while the peregrine falcon, the fastest animal on earth in a hunting dive, carries equal weight in Emirati and wider Gulf falconry tradition. Both are honoured rather than one being ranked above the other.
How much does it cost to book a falcon show in Dubai?
A simple one-falcon meet and greet for an event in Dubai or Abu Dhabi starts from AED 1,500, while a fuller package with multiple birds, a flying demonstration and a themed heritage corner can run up to AED 8,000. Final pricing depends on duration, number of birds, and whether the booking includes a flying display. Confirm the exact quote for your date, since peak season carries a premium.
Where can I see the national bird of UAE in Dubai or Abu Dhabi?
Dubai Falcon Hospital offers guided tours covering falcon veterinary care and general handling. Heritage villages and museums in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, including Al Shindagha and Qasr Al Hosn, run falconry displays and handler talks. The Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in Abu Dhabi runs seasonal falconry demonstrations, and many desert safari camps include a falcon handler in their evening programme.
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