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. Organized 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 rebirth of falconry in the province of El Jadida, the organizers aspire to bring back to the forefront other aspects of this heritage, including know-how regarding hunting instruments, traditional clothing, music, singing, dancing, culinary art, not to mention the essential horse that 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 the presentation of the show; they are also investing in the rewriting of 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, during its Nairobi session held from 15 to 19 November 2010, inscribed this traditional hunting on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 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, a complicity as intelligent as it is knowledgeable has been established between man and the bird of prey, particularly the falcon, to detect and track game. As it was initially utilitarian, meeting a vital need, namely food, falconry soon became a leisure activity for high dignitaries and notables who also made it a means of defense and often an essential gateway for peace and cordiality during tensions between states.

In the heart of the Doukkala (province of El Jadida), and a short distance from the rural center of Ouled Frej, the Lekouassem Chorfa tribe represents today one of the last bastions to preserve the temple of falconry in Morocco. 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 appointment is therefore made for this first edition of the Falconry Festival which will take place at Douar Smâala, in the rural commune of Zaouiat Lekouassem.