Abu Dhabi, October 01: The first day of the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) on Wednesday went by pretty smoothly.
At 11 am, when doors just opened, the larger pavilions of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), the main supporter of the exhibition or Emirates Falconers’ Club, the main organiser, were still busy arranging the final touches. Everybody else looked quite smart and smiling.
Much more airy and generally better looking, this year the majority of pavilions belong to falconers and their related products, safari companies and horse stables.
The “art alley”, where many local and international artists would exhibit and sell their works, and which was always busy with visitors strolling up and down, is no longer here. The majority of paintings and photographs this season is concentrated in the competition area, which witnessed a much larger participation.
Perhaps it is, after all, the financial crises that kept the independent artists away. Indeed, most exhibitors seem to be the bigger names and the exclusive ones, like the USA’s Pro Tech Knives, displaying truly extraordinary safari knives at equally extraordinary prices.
The stuffed lion standing in the Emirates Heritage Club (EHC) was an instant attraction for most visitors.
“It was a gift to Shaikh Zayed from Sudan,” said Adnan Sallam, the Media and PR director of the EHC.
In fact, the EHC completely changed its pavilion this year and, instead of its usual majlis and library, opted for a bigger space including an entire exhibition of the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s state gifts, diplomas and medals, as well as an environmental area and a traditional majlis.
As the day went by, more visitors arrived and by 7pm, ADIHEX became really busy. The organisers too, after a lunch break, returned to prepare for the official inauguration, which took place in the evening.
As it is customary with each edition of ADIHEX, this seventh one too was inaugurated by its patron, Shaikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Ruler’s Representative in Al Gharbia (Western Region) and chairman of the EFC. Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, was also present. After watching the much-praised Musical Ride show of the British Royal Household Cavalry, the they took a tour of the exhibition.
–Agencies