Ninth ADIHEX Day Draws Strong Visitor Engagement
Saluki Hunting Simulation Opens Day
The ninth day of the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX 2026) continued to deliver a wide-ranging programme of heritage, cultural and interactive activities on 5 September 2026, drawing strong interest from visitors, families and enthusiasts of hunting, falconry and equestrian sport.
Staged under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Emirates Falconers’ Club, the exhibition continued at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi through 6 September 2026 under the theme “A Legacy of Pride.” ADNEC Group, a Modon company, organised the event in strategic partnership with the Emirates Falconers’ Club.
Saluki heritage again featured prominently, with an Arabian Saluki hunting simulation competition giving visitors the chance to learn more about the breed’s historical significance and its long-standing association with hunting traditions in the UAE. The evening programme built on that theme with a falconry hunting simulation presented by ADNOC, pairing two of the exhibition’s core heritage sports within the same session.
Abu Dhabi Police Stage Demonstrations
Equestrian sport ran throughout the day’s schedule. A purebred Arabian horse showcase was presented by Mahab Equestrian, while Rodney Stables staged a tent pegging display highlighting horsemanship skills central to the sport. Delma Kennels contributed further Arabian Saluki demonstrations, rounding out a day that gave visitors multiple perspectives on the breed across both competitive and heritage-focused formats.
Cultural programming carried particular weight on day nine. The traditional Tshouleeb performance, presented in collaboration with the Emirates Arabian Horse Society, celebrated a heritage art closely linked to equestrian tradition, and was complemented by a further equestrian display presented by ADNOC that underscored the enduring significance of Arabian horses within Emirati culture and heritage.
Abu Dhabi Police featured heavily across the day, running a series of demonstrations that drew strong visitor interest. A security scenario simulation and a mounted police display were joined by performances from the police band and K9 teams, together giving visitors a closer look at the capabilities and expertise of specialised police units operating within the emirate.
Maritime heritage also had a place on the programme through the traditional Al Bahhara performance, which brought elements of the UAE’s seafaring history to the exhibition’s live arena and highlighted customs and traditions that were once an integral part of community life along the coast. The Japanese Shoten Dubai Taiko drummers added a further international cultural dimension to the day’s line-up before proceedings concluded with an additional Arabian Saluki display.
Tshouleeb Show Honours A Heritage Art
Throughout the day, the Learning Majlis and interactive zone continued to operate as a platform for knowledge exchange, reinforcing the exhibition’s role as an international meeting point for those working in falconry and the preservation of cultural heritage. Organisers have consistently framed this function as central to ADIHEX’s identity, alongside its live demonstrations and competitive programming.
The pairing of Mahab Equestrian’s purebred Arabian horse showcase with Rodney Stables’ tent pegging display and Delma Kennels’ Saluki demonstrations gave the day a strong equestrian and canine core, running alongside the heritage performances and police demonstrations that filled out the rest of the schedule.
Taken together, day nine’s schedule illustrated the exhibition’s effort to weave heritage sport, cultural performance and civic demonstration into a single day’s programming, spanning Saluki and falconry heritage, Arabian horse tradition, maritime custom, policing and international cultural performance within a single site.
With the 23rd edition of ADIHEX concluding the following day, Sunday, 6 September 2026, day nine’s programme served as one of the exhibition’s final full days of activity before its close, following what organisers described as ten days of activities and programmes bringing together exhibitors, experts, enthusiasts and visitors from the UAE and around the world, united by a shared interest in hunting, falconry and equestrian sports.