emirates7 - The International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC) and Ekthar will jointly present the journey and future direction of the Sheikh Zayed Houbara Conservation Programme at the 23rd Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX), showcasing how a pioneering vision has evolved into a global conservation model.
ADIHEX 2026 will take place from 28th August to 6th September at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Emirates Falconers’ Club. The exhibition is organised by ADNEC Group, in collaboration with the Emirates Falconers’ Club.
Carrying the message “The Legacy Lives On”, the pavilion will take visitors on a journey beginning with the conservation vision initiated by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, moving through nearly five decades of scientific and conservation achievements, and concluding with the technologies, partnerships and priorities shaping the Programme’s future.
Within the Programme, IFHC advances strategic conservation priorities, international advocacy, education, outreach and engagement with falconer communities. Ekthar brings together the specialist scientific, technical and operational capabilities that support delivery. Reneco, founded 40 years ago and now an operating entity of Ekthar, has served as the Programme’s scientific backbone, leading conservation breeding, field research and habitat monitoring to support the long-term survival of the houbara.
The Sheikh Zayed Houbara Conservation Programme was launched in 1977, in response to the decline of wild houbara populations. Its early efforts led to the successful breeding of the first Asian houbara chick at Al Ain Zoo in 1982 and laid the foundations for a long-term conservation model that now extends across the species’ natural range in Asia and North Africa.
Since its inception, the Programme has produced more than 1,100,797 houbara and released more than 668,000 birds to support wild populations. More than 6,000 birds have been tracked, generating valuable data on migration, survival, behaviour and adaptation following release. In 2025, annual production reached 107,807 houbara, the highest annual total recorded by the Programme.
Research, ecological monitoring and genetic management have informed advanced breeding and release protocols and the careful selection of suitable habitats. Because the houbara is migratory, its conservation also depends on coordinated action across breeding grounds, migration routes and wintering habitats. Protecting the bird’s breeding grounds, wintering habitats and migration corridors can benefit many other species sharing the same ecosystems.
Commenting on IFHC’s participation, Mohamed AlMotawa AlDhaheri, Acting Director General of the International Fund for Houbara Conservation, said, “ADIHEX provides an important platform to share the progress of a conservation journey that began with the pioneering vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan nearly five decades ago. The Programme now extends across 22 countries, demonstrating what can be achieved when long-term vision is matched by sustained scientific commitment.
This year’s pavilion tells that story as one continuous journey, from Sheikh Zayed’s founding vision to the capabilities shaping its next chapter. Together, IFHC and Ekthar are building on a proven legacy to advance a resilient future for the houbara and the ecosystems it shares.”
Flagship experiences will bring the Programme’s work closer to visitors. A three-dimensional breeding-centre model will provide an inside view of conservation breeding and monitoring, while live houbara and, for the first time, stone-curlew will allow visitors to encounter species at the heart of the Programme.
The pavilion will also present AI eye-recognition technology capable of identifying individual houbara through retinal scanning. Developed in collaboration with Khalifa University, the project demonstrates how emerging technology can support conservation research and monitoring.
Education and heritage will remain central to the visitor journey. Workshops, including participation from the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, will make conservation science accessible to younger audiences, while engagement with students, academic institutions and falconer communities will how knowledge, responsible practice and cultural heritage contribute to conservation.
The pavilion will also include a presentation of exclusive Hubara Design pieces inspired by the houbara and the UAE’s natural heritage. Further details will be announced during ADIHEX.
Together, these experiences will how a conservation vision rooted in the UAE’s heritage continues to evolve through science, practical delivery and community participation.
Looking ahead, the Sheikh Zayed Houbara Conservation Programme will continue to focus on improving the quality and effectiveness of releases, increasing survival and natural reproduction rates, protecting breeding and wintering habitats and migration corridors, expanding international partnerships, and strengthening knowledge exchange and local capacity-building to support the long-term sustainability of houbara conservation and the ecosystems associated with it.
Visitors can explore the Sheikh Zayed Houbara Conservation Programme pavilion at Stand A-020 in the Atrium Area throughout ADIHEX 2026.
ADIHEX 2026 will take place from 28th August to 6th September at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Emirates Falconers’ Club. The exhibition is organised by ADNEC Group, in collaboration with the Emirates Falconers’ Club.
Carrying the message “The Legacy Lives On”, the pavilion will take visitors on a journey beginning with the conservation vision initiated by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, moving through nearly five decades of scientific and conservation achievements, and concluding with the technologies, partnerships and priorities shaping the Programme’s future.
Within the Programme, IFHC advances strategic conservation priorities, international advocacy, education, outreach and engagement with falconer communities. Ekthar brings together the specialist scientific, technical and operational capabilities that support delivery. Reneco, founded 40 years ago and now an operating entity of Ekthar, has served as the Programme’s scientific backbone, leading conservation breeding, field research and habitat monitoring to support the long-term survival of the houbara.
The Sheikh Zayed Houbara Conservation Programme was launched in 1977, in response to the decline of wild houbara populations. Its early efforts led to the successful breeding of the first Asian houbara chick at Al Ain Zoo in 1982 and laid the foundations for a long-term conservation model that now extends across the species’ natural range in Asia and North Africa.
Since its inception, the Programme has produced more than 1,100,797 houbara and released more than 668,000 birds to support wild populations. More than 6,000 birds have been tracked, generating valuable data on migration, survival, behaviour and adaptation following release. In 2025, annual production reached 107,807 houbara, the highest annual total recorded by the Programme.
Research, ecological monitoring and genetic management have informed advanced breeding and release protocols and the careful selection of suitable habitats. Because the houbara is migratory, its conservation also depends on coordinated action across breeding grounds, migration routes and wintering habitats. Protecting the bird’s breeding grounds, wintering habitats and migration corridors can benefit many other species sharing the same ecosystems.
Commenting on IFHC’s participation, Mohamed AlMotawa AlDhaheri, Acting Director General of the International Fund for Houbara Conservation, said, “ADIHEX provides an important platform to share the progress of a conservation journey that began with the pioneering vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan nearly five decades ago. The Programme now extends across 22 countries, demonstrating what can be achieved when long-term vision is matched by sustained scientific commitment.
This year’s pavilion tells that story as one continuous journey, from Sheikh Zayed’s founding vision to the capabilities shaping its next chapter. Together, IFHC and Ekthar are building on a proven legacy to advance a resilient future for the houbara and the ecosystems it shares.”
Flagship experiences will bring the Programme’s work closer to visitors. A three-dimensional breeding-centre model will provide an inside view of conservation breeding and monitoring, while live houbara and, for the first time, stone-curlew will allow visitors to encounter species at the heart of the Programme.
The pavilion will also present AI eye-recognition technology capable of identifying individual houbara through retinal scanning. Developed in collaboration with Khalifa University, the project demonstrates how emerging technology can support conservation research and monitoring.
Education and heritage will remain central to the visitor journey. Workshops, including participation from the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, will make conservation science accessible to younger audiences, while engagement with students, academic institutions and falconer communities will how knowledge, responsible practice and cultural heritage contribute to conservation.
The pavilion will also include a presentation of exclusive Hubara Design pieces inspired by the houbara and the UAE’s natural heritage. Further details will be announced during ADIHEX.
Together, these experiences will how a conservation vision rooted in the UAE’s heritage continues to evolve through science, practical delivery and community participation.
Looking ahead, the Sheikh Zayed Houbara Conservation Programme will continue to focus on improving the quality and effectiveness of releases, increasing survival and natural reproduction rates, protecting breeding and wintering habitats and migration corridors, expanding international partnerships, and strengthening knowledge exchange and local capacity-building to support the long-term sustainability of houbara conservation and the ecosystems associated with it.
Visitors can explore the Sheikh Zayed Houbara Conservation Programme pavilion at Stand A-020 in the Atrium Area throughout ADIHEX 2026.
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