On 16 November 2010, UNESCO approved the largest multinational heritage nomination in the history of the Organisation, resulting in the inscription of falconry on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This significant achievement represented major international recognition of the legitimacy and cultural significance of falconry, and the date subsequently became recognised as World Falconry Day, encouraging countries around the world to adopt robust strategies and action plans to safeguard this shared human heritage.

The inscription aimed to raise awareness of the value of falconry as a global human heritage and art, while encouraging countries to adopt clear and comprehensive strategies and action plans for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. It also provided full recognition of the legitimacy of falconry, particularly in countries where legislation had previously restricted the practice of hunting with falcons.

Between 2006 and 2010, eleven countries participated in the inscription process and in preparing the multinational nomination dossier, under the leadership of the United Arab Emirates, which had taken the initiative to launch the project as early as 2005. The participating countries included the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, the Republic of Korea, Morocco, Spain, Syria, Qatar, and Mongolia.

In 2012, Austria and Hungary joined the nomination, followed in 2016 by Portugal, Germany, Italy, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan. In 2021, Croatia, Ireland, Kyrgyzstan, the Netherlands, Poland, and Slovakia also joined the nomination. As a result, the falconry nomination now brings together 24 participating countries, reflecting the global expansion of falconry, which is today legally practised in approximately 90 countries by more than 100,000 falconers worldwide.

Abu Dhabi played a leading role in securing the inscription of falconry on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The achievement was made possible through the concerted efforts of numerous official heritage and cultural entities and institutions across the UAE, foremost among them the Emirates Falconers’ Club, with strong support and direct guidance from Their Highnesses the Sheikhs. These efforts culminated in this significant international recognition of the legitimacy of falconry and its practice.