The taxidermy pavilion at the International Saudi Falcons and Hunting Exhibition 2026 is hosting a corner dedicated to workshops that teach and train visitors in animal taxidermy, drawing large numbers of attendees eager to examine the preserved specimens and learn about their characteristics and natural habitats in a single experience that combines observation with learning, according to what the organizers have reported.
The exhibition, organized by the National Center for Falcons and running until 10 October 2026 at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center in Mulham, north of Riyadh, offers through this pavilion a window onto the world of wildlife and its diversity. A gateway designed in the shape of rock formations leads visitors into displays accompanied by identification cards in both Arabic and English that explain each animal's traits, distribution, and diet, linking their features to their stories in nature.
Among the preserved specimens on display is the Asiatic lion, whose card recalls a chapter in the Kingdom's wildlife history, as it once lived in the region before disappearing by the late 19th century due to environmental changes and human pressures, including hunting. Rock inscriptions inside the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve document its historical presence, while its reintroduction remains a future goal.
Visitors also learn about the Arabian striped hyena, which inhabits the Arabian Peninsula including the Kingdom and is distinguished by greyish-straw fur, dark stripes, and large ears. It is mostly nocturnal and feeds primarily on carrion, along with fruit, insects, and some small animals. The Barbary sheep, known as the aoudad, is a mammal native to the mountainous and rocky regions of North Africa that adapts to hot, dry environments and rugged terrain, with curved horns in both males and females, feeding on grasses, shrubs, and leaves; its card notes that it is not an indigenous species to the Kingdom or the Arabian Peninsula.
The pavilion also includes a virtual reality experience corner that adds an interactive dimension to the tour and diversifies the ways visitors can learn about the animal world and its environments.