All photos by Ray Toh

An annual festival held in Qatar to honor traditional past-times such as falconry and saluki racing has reached its mid-point, with several competitions still expected to be held in the next two weeks.

The Marmi Festival, which is being held at Sabkhat Marmi near Sealine in Mesaieed, is organized by Katara-based Al Gannas society and runs through Jan. 30.

Competitions include a falcon beauty contest and saluki racing, which photographer Ray Toh captured recently:

https://www.facebook.com/raytohgraphyservices/videos/589539291199784/?__mref=message_bubble

The festival has attracted more than 1,000 participants this year from across the Gulf.

Many are passionate about hunting, but also keen to win the hundreds of thousands of riyals up for grabs in prize money.

The events are free and open to the public, and here’s the schedule:

Have you checked out the festival yet? Thoughts?