The 16th Edition of the International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (Adihex 2018), to be held in September, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, will have the ‘Year of Zayed’ as its main theme.

A meeting was recently held to discuss the strategic vision and innovative highlights, in preparation, for the event, which is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's representative of Al Dhafra Region and chairman of the Emirates Falconers Club, the event will take place from September 25 to 29, at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec).

The meeting was chaired by Majid Ali Al Mansouri, chairman of the Higher Organising Committee and secretary general of Emirates Falconers Club.

The committee discussed the main theme of Adihex for the year which is the ‘Year of Zayed’ in line with the announcement of HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. 2018 is the Year of Zayed in memory of the 100 years’ birthday of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

According to the theme the event will focus on the efforts and initiatives of the Late Sheikh Zayed, the First Falconer and one of the main leaders in the fields of the protection of the environment, falconry, sustainable hunting and equestrian activities to name a few.

The event also aims to portray the initiatives of several UAE organisations that have dedicated time and resources to fulfil the mission of the Year of Zayed and to endorse the initiatives of participants, small and medium sized organisations and leading Emirate business people who have all contributed to this theme.

The event shows its full support to the Year of Zayed through this international exhibition that was established in 2003 to become one of the most important exhibitions in this field that successfully achieved media coverage and participation with more than 100,000 visitors from more than 120 countries last year.

The Higher Organising Committee discussed the main objectives of Adihex 2018 which involve shedding light on the cultural movement in the UAE and the promotion of arts and culture that affirm the national identity and preserve the rich heritage of the UAE.

Similarly, Adihex 2018 aspires to highlight, as part of its main theme, to reveal the vision of the late Sheikh Zayed in environmental issues, especially those that have made the UAE a global example to the world in protecting the environment and the sustainability of natural resources through the participation of specialised organisations at the exhibition.

Other objectives of event are showcasing humanitarian acts of giving through humanitarian participants, the development of human capital and the participation of national companies who have all worked towards fulfilling the vision of building the economy of the UAE based on knowledge and information.

Moreover, as part of the Year of Zayed, Japan will be a guest of honour with a display of a local Japanese heritage on a stand which is organised by "General incorporated association Japan Promotion" and attracts more than 250,000 visitors every year in Paris, France.

Japan will be presenting its contribution to the Year of Zayed that is composed of arts and crafts and activities for children.

Additionally, in line with the theme, Adihex 2018 will be encouraging artists to create artwork that is dedicated to the Year of Zayed and through the art reflect the importance placed on hunting, falconry and equestrian activities.

At the exhibition, there will also be an educational competition in the form of a treasure hunt regarding the most important achievements of the late Sheikh Zayed in the fields of falconry, equestrian, conservation and sustainable hunting. The treasure hunt will involve school children answering questions and finding the treasure in the stands of participating exhibitors and the winner will be gifted with a prize.

There will be also a series of workshops that are all aligned with the general theme of the exhibition that include art, handmade products, crafts, as well as children's cultural and leisure activities that are organised in partnership with entertainment companies.

Al Mansoori said: “We have worked very diligently towards expanding and developing the vision of the event to ensure that it fulfils the goals of the Year of Zayed which is our central focal point for this year's show.”

“We have also re-designed the look and feel of the event, as well as the floor plan in an innovative way whereby visitors can view all the sections, stands and activities so it is an interactive and educational journey that they feel inspired and more culturally aware through a moving experience,” he said.

“Visitors will now find it much easier to move from one section to the other and enjoy all the initiatives and activities. We have a large number of attractions to appeal to the large number of trade and consumer visitors such as the promotion and preservation of environmental and cultural heritage, hunting equipment, tourism, safaris, weapons, falconry, equestrian, sports fishing, marine sports, outdoor leisure and vehicle equipment. This is in addition to arts, crafts and entertainment for children,” he added.

Al Mansoori elaborated: “We have formed an extremely professional team from our official contractors offering personalized support and services to our participants to meet all their needs.”

“Our contractors have collaborated very closely with exhibitors to facilitate their experience and have also exerted a lot of effort to ensure that Adihex 2018 is an improvement on former years in terms of quality of service. This year we also have several new exhibitors from all around the world, expanding the size of the exhibition where we expect a large number of visitors,” he said.

The event is organised by Emirates Falconers Club and Informa Events and is sponsored by HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival.

The Silver sponsors are Wahat Al Zaweya, Tiger Properties, Dhabian Equestrian Club and Smart Design LLC. The exhibition is supported by the Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi and Cultural Programs and Heritage Festivals Committee, Abu Dhabi as well as several local, regional and international media partners, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service