ABU DHABI, 25th January, 2023 (WAM) — The Emirates Falconers Club (EFC) and INPEX-JODCO Foundation, a leading company in the field of development and production of oil and gas projects, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for promoting and supporting the programmes of friendship, student exchange and cultural cooperation between the Emirati and Japanese falconers.
The MoU was signed by Majid Ali Al Mansouri, Secretary-General of EFC, and Hiroshi Fujii, Representative Director of INPEX-JODCO, Senior Managing Executive Officer and Senior Vice President in Abu Dhabi Projects, in the presence of Takayuki Ueda, President and CEO of INPEX, and Toshiaki Kitamura, Chairman of the company.
As per the MoU and in cooperation between the UAE-Japanese sides, participation in falconry activities and events will be carried out. This is in addition to introducing the goals of preserving human cultural heritage, preserving authentic traditions, and promoting sustainable hunting under the supervision of experts and specialists in falconry from both countries.
Japanese students will be able to train and learn about the traditions of genuine Arabian falconry at Mohammed bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School, which was established in 2016 under the directions of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region, and Chairman of the EFC. This will be the first world-pioneering platform specialised in teaching the art of Arabian falconry, physiognomy, and desert traditions.
Furthermore, Emirati students and falconers will be welcomed at the Japanese “SAWA” Falconry School to learn about old Japanese falconry traditions as they are reflected in a particular collection of tools, schools, and practices strongly rooted in Japan’s cultural heritage.
On this occasion, Al Mansouri said, “Today, the UAE-Japan ties move beyond the stage of cooperation to become a strategic partnership that has entered a new stage in recent years. Cultural heritage projects are one of these collaborations.”
On the occasion of signing the MoU with the EFC, the Japanese delegation toured the Mohammed bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School, where members of the delegation praised the efforts and achievements of Abu Dhabi and the UAE in preserving heritage and protecting wildlife through sustainable hunting, expressing their admiration for the school’s programmes which organise specialised training courses in falconry for all age groups to teach them the arts of Arab falconry, and educate young generation to preserve authentic traditions.
The Emirates Falconry Clup has organised many of the most important events supporting sustainable hunting and preserving cultural heritage over the years, the most notable of which is the International Festival of Falconry in Abu Dhabi in 2011, 2014, and 2017, which is a global forum for falconers from different continents attended by over 800 falconers from nearly 90 countries.
INPEX CORPORATION is Japan’s largest exploration and production (E&P) company, and is currently involved in several major projects across multiple continents, including the Ichthys LNG Project in Australia as Operator. By thoroughly making its oil and gas business cleaner while expanding its 5 net zero business areas, INPEX aims to provide a stable supply of diverse and clean energy sources including oil, natural gas, hydrogen and renewables as a pioneer in energy transformation.
