(WAM) – The Higher Organizing Committee of the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) have announced that the 18th edition of the event will take place over seven days from 27th of September to 3rd of October 2021, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of Emirates Falconers’ Club.

The exhibition will extend for the first time in its history over a period of seven consecutive days, in line with its development strategy turning it into a comprehensive International fair.

Majed Ali Al Mansouri, Secretary-General of the Emirates Falconers’ Club and Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee of ADIHEX, said that the kind gesture of the patron of the event, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of Emirates Falconers’ Club, and his directives to extend the exhibition for an entire week came as a result of the unprecedented eagerness from the event participants.

Majed Al Mansouri explained that the extension will offer both visitors and exhibitors a greater opportunity to benefit from the event to network and conclude their business deals. It will also help meet the rising aspirations of the exhibition’s visitors, including those interested in falconry, hunting and equestrian from around the world.

Al Mansouri added that the event witnessed an impressive increase in number of visitors reaching a total number of 1.6 million from its launch to 2019 edition.

Over the past years, ADIHEX has witnessed considerable success on all levels, most importantly bringing together exhibitors with potential clients from the region; highlighting the UAE’s efforts in the fields of environment, species conservation, and heritage preservation and promotion; in addition to the launch of initiatives and activities that have proven extremely successful in the previous editions.

Al Mansouri reiterated that the next edition will be unique as it coincides with the UAE’s 50 years celebration of success and achievements, and the launch of the Golden Jubilee plan for the next 50 years.

The Emirates Falconers’ Club has approved a strategic plan to maintain ADIHEX as the largest exhibition of its kind in the Middle East and Africa, over the coming years. The plan includes the expansion of the space of the event gradually; achieving a quantum leap in the number of local and international exhibitors and visitors, as well as the number of participating countries; and maintaining the event’s international status as a leading regional commercial exhibition that features great purchasing deals and sales.

The comprehensive expansion plan also includes improving the content of the event by providing innovative services, technologies, activities and events with a renewed vision; strengthening the exhibition’s role in preserving the UAE’s heritage, and achieving sustainable hunting. Hence, Al Mansouri emphasized that the Emirates Falconers’ Club, the organizer of ADIHEX, works to contribute actively to the UAE’s nation-wide strategy, with an ambitious and forward-looking vision that maintains its achievements in various fields, including heritage, environment and nature conservation.

Al Mansouri said: “while preparing for the next 50 years, The UAE has made unique achievements in various fields over the past decades; and has managed to occupy leading positions regionally and globally in the field of government efficiency and economic competitiveness while preserving its heritage at the same time. The sons of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan have made tireless and sincere efforts to create a bright representation of the state at the global level”.

The next edition of ADIHEX will be held under the theme ‘Sustainability and Heritage A Reborn Aspiration’, which reflects the efforts of Abu Dhabi and the world to promote environmental and sustainable hunting, heritage sports and related industries; in addition to preparing a comprehensive strategy for development of the event and its innovating activities which are leveraged from successes achieved during the previous editions in a reborn aspiration.

ADIHEX provides its participants and visitors with a comprehensive offering within its 11 sectors which are: veterinary products and services, hunting guns, media, outdoor leisure vehicles and equipment, hunting tourism and safari, arts and crafts, equestrian, falconry, fishing and marine sports, hunting and camping equipment and finally cultural heritage.

As the number of exhibitors has multiplied more than 16 times over the past editions, ADIHEX 2019 hosted more than 650 companies and brands from 41 countries in an exhibition area of 45,000 square meters.

ADIHEX also enjoys a great popularity around the world and is awaited by many individuals of all ages for its various educational events, innovative competitions that attracted more than 115,000 visitors from 120 nationalities during the last edition.