Inside Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital: Meet the desert wings of the UAE

The falcon steps onto your gloved forearm before you’re quite ready for it. The weight of the majestic bird of prey pushes down on your arm, and as you sway to get the balance right, your attention remains fixated on the magnificent creature before you. Dr. Margit Gabriele Müller, Executive Director, Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital (ADFH), has watched this moment play out thousands of times. She fondly says the moment is one of her favourite things to witness at the hospital. “It is impossible to describe it fully as this has to be experienced,” she says, recounting reactions as a mix of surprise and pure delight. It’s a moment wherein language and culture cease to exist, and all that’s left is a person looking at the falcon sitting on their arm and thinking ‘I cannot believe I am actually doing this.’ ADFH opened its doors in 1999, dedicated to providing advanced veterinary care for falcons. It was created at a time when falconry remained an immensely important part of Emirati heritage but lacked specialised veterinary services for these birds. From its beginnings as a specialist falcon hospital, ADFH progressively developed into a much broader institution encompassing veterinary medicine, research, conservation, education, animal welfare and tourism. The hospital is open to the public during the week, offering visitors a special look into the rehabilitation of falcons and a learning experience like no other. A post shared by Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital (@abudhabifalconhospital) To understand why ADFH is so significant to the UAE, one must first know what falcons mean to the country. For centuries, falconry was closely connected to survival in the desert and became part of the relationship between people, animals and the environment. Today, falconry remains a vibrant living tradition, passed down from one generation to the next. For Emiratis whose heritage is deeply rooted in Bedouin culture, it offers a precious connection to their ancestors, their desert traditions and their cultural identity, helping to preserve this heritage in a rapidly changing modern world. The skill of being a falconer is not easy to achieve. A captive-bred falcon can’t be domesticated in the way a dog is. It retains its wild instincts. * DON’T MISS: The What’s On Lock-In returns to InterContinental Abu Dhabi*