Under the theme "Falconry: ancestral tradition and universal heritage", the first edition of the Falconry Festival will take place from 19 to 21 April 2013. Organised by the Lekouassem Falconers Association of Ouled Frej and the Provincial Association for Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with the regional directorate of culture, this cultural event coincides with the 2nd anniversary of the inscription of falconry on the UNESCO list as living human heritage.

By celebrating the renaissance of falconry in the El Jadida province, the organisers also aspire to bring other aspects of this heritage back to the forefront, notably the know-how regarding hunting instruments, traditional clothing, music, singing, dance, culinary art, and not forgetting the essential horse, which was once an integral part of falconry. It will be a celebration in the Doukkala region, and visitors, both local and foreign, will be well served.

Furthermore, the initiators of this event are not limited to presenting a show; they are also investing in rewriting an old and beautiful story, that of a heritage that is regaining its former glory. It is in this spirit that the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO inscribed this traditional hunt on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during its Nairobi session, held from 15 to 19 November 2010. UNESCO stipulates that falconry is one of the oldest relationships between man and bird, dating back more than 4,000 years. It is a traditional activity involving the use of birds trained to hunt other prey in their natural conditions and habitats. Since man conquered the animal world, an intelligent and knowledgeable complicity has been established between man and the bird of prey, particularly the falcon, to detect and track game. As it was utilitarian in its beginnings, meeting a vital need, namely food, falconry soon became a leisure activity for high dignitaries and notables, who also made it a means of defence and often an essential bridge for peace and cordiality during tensions between states.

In the heart of the Doukkalas (El Jadida province), and a short distance from the rural centre of Ouled Frej, the Lekouassem chorfas tribe represents one of the last bastions preserving the temple of falconry in Morocco today. Considered for some time as a simple local curiosity, Lekouassem falconry is experiencing a resurgence of interest and recognition, and in this context, the contribution of the Lekouassem Falconers Association of Ouled Frej has proven undeniable.

The date is therefore set for this first edition of the Falconry Festival, which will take place in Douar Smâala, in the rural commune of Zaouiat Lekouassem.