Record-breaking turnout at King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival in Saudi Arabia - in pictures

The number of entrants taking part in the kingdom's elite bird contest trounced the previous total

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The second King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival set a new Guinness World Record with 2,350 birds participating in the competition, beating the previous record of 1,723.

The event, held in Malham, a town just north of Riyadh, attracted thousands of enthusiasts and elite handlers from across Saudi Arabia, the Gulf region and internationally.

Emirati handlers took the top positions in the international open categories for the second time, repeating their efforts in the first festival, which was held in February 2019.

The festival prize cash pot totalled $5 million (Dh18,400,000).