'Little Falconers' set to introduce age-old Qatari culture to the world

Ahead of tonight's World Cup football tournament opening, a Qatari boy holds a falcon in front of national flags in Doha. Photo: Reuters

In the deserts of northern Qatar, children with a falcon perched on gloves on their left arms show off their hunting birds in a bid to preserve an age-old tradition.

These "Little Falconers" have gathered in a tent ahead of the football World Cup in the gas-rich Gulf emirate, in a bid to introduce visitors to a practice inherited from their forefathers.