High gun sales at Riyadh hunting exhibition

Customers were mainly interested in guns with high performance and high levels of safety. (SPA)

RIYADH: A manager of a gun company participating in the Saudi International Falcons and Hunting Exhibition in Riyadh claimed to have sold around 75 percent of his display stock during the event.
The Weapons Pavilion proved a popular draw for visitors, and the manager in question, Yousef Al-Swailem, said that he had sold out of six of the nine pistol models he was displaying, adding that both men and women had been buying small arms at the exhibition.
Customers were mainly interested in guns with high performance and high levels of safety, he added, as well as accessories.
The third Saudi International Falcons and Hunting Exhibition opened at the headquarters of the Saudi Falcons Club in Mulham, north of Riyadh.
The 10-day event, believed to be the largest of its kind in the world, includes pavilions devoted to hunting weapons, various species of falcons, the arts and family activities, along with shooting ranges, a Saudi village, and a digital museum. A host of accompanying events and a few surprises for visitors are also being organized.
Over the past few decades, falconers in Saudi Arabia have emerged as pioneers in breeding and preservation as the wider falconry industry has grown exponentially since its humble Bedouin beginnings.
The Kingdom has a rich historical heritage and tradition of falconry. A common companion of a Bedouin traveler across the Arabian deserts, hunting with falcons was an integral part of the land for thousands of years as they helped provide nourishment for the weary traveler by catching prey.