Engaging Communities and Future Generations in Shaping a More Balanced Future Between Humanity and Nature
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 8 September 2024 – The International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC), an affiliate of Erth Zayed Philanthropies, concluded its participation in the 22nd edition of the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX), which ran from August 30 to September 7 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
As part of its ongoing efforts to engage communities and future generations in shaping a more balanced future between humanity and nature, the Fund’s pavilion welcomed a large number of visitors, including dignitaries, specialists, and nature enthusiasts. Guests explored the historical development of the Abu Dhabi Houbara Conservation Program, founded in 1977 by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and followed its successive milestones until it became a global model for biodiversity conservation and the preservation of sustainable cultural heritage.
The pavilion’s entrances and corridors featured inspiring quotes reflecting the ambitious vision for environmental sustainability from both the late Sheikh Zayed (may he rest in peace) and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. Visitors also had the opportunity to observe live houbara birds in an enclosure that simulated their natural ecosystem.
For the first time, the exhibition featured the launch of the Houbara Artificial Intelligence Platform, which contains a variety of information about the bird’s nature, as well as its ecological and cultural importance. Visitors met the Houbara Ambassadors, Emirati female veterinary students from the United Arab Emirates University, who spoke about the hands-on training they received at IFHC’s breeding centres as part of a memorandum of understanding designed to prepare future leaders in wildlife conservation.
The pavilion also highlighted the Fund’s contributions to international efforts aimed at saving two critically endangered species: The Arabian houbara, bred in UAE centres, and the Great Indian Bustard, for which Indian partners received support to establish an advanced captive-breeding and release centre set to operate in the coming years.
At the exhibition, IFHC announced an unprecedented achievement this year with the production of 107,808 Asian and North African houbara. This brings the total number of birds produced since inception to 996,064, of which 598,314 have been released into the wild across 18 countries to help maintain ecological balance. A notable increase in the survival rates of Asian houbara was also recorded, while testimonies from falconers highlighted encouraging signs of the species’ migratory path recovery from Central Asia to the UAE and the Arabian Peninsula.
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About the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC)
The International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC) continues the visionary legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the UAE. This long-standing initiative is dedicated to protecting the houbara bustard, preserving its natural habitat, and safeguarding related species through a comprehensive, global conservation strategy.
Established in 2006, IFHC leads the global management and development of the Abu Dhabi Houbara Conservation Programme. Its mission encompasses scientific research, protective measures, community engagement, and large-scale breeding and release efforts aimed at increasing wild houbara populations.
Under the Erth Zayed Philanthropies umbrella, IFHC fosters international partnerships across the houbara’s migratory range in Asia and North Africa. Collaborations include countries such as China, India, Jordan, Mongolia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and others. The Fund manages key breeding, release, and research centres in Abu Dhabi, Morocco, and Kazakhstan.
