Standing proudly at 70 cm and weighing around 25 kg, the Saluki has the appearance of a greyhound on speed, easily cruising along in excess of 50 kph over long distances. Unlike the greyhound and the whippet, they were bred for stamina and endurance as well as acceleration. Their long distance eyesight is exceptional, and evolution and breeding have provided them with deep chests, allowing plenty of room for an abnormally large heart and lungs with which to provide sufficient air and blood for the chase. Their long slender legs are less fragile than they might appear, and are like coiled springs for maximum acceleration. Their bones are light, tough and bladed rather than heavy and round, designed by nature for one specific task: - to carry those strong but elegant jaws swiftly to their prey. Even their long tails act as a lightweight rudder during high speed turns.

Their feet, thickly feathered between the toes, enable them to run in deep sand. Also, in order to survive the heat of the desert, they are the only breed of dog with a single layer coat. This has the useful side effect that they never smell, very beneficial when you’re sharing your tent with one. There are two types of this coat, either feathered or smooth, differentiated by the amount of hair on their long tails, legs and ears. These coats come in combinations of tan, reddish brown and white. The lighter shades blend well with the southern desert lands, whilst the darker varieties are limited to the North. Hunting in packs and away from the direct supervision of their owners, they are prized not only for their speed, grace and physical prowess but also for their intelligence. The favourites, the bitches, are the most aggressive hunters, the more pack orientated and the cleverest.

Their original owners, rich and royal men mounted on the finest Arabian horses, would ride out into the desert and release the hawks held proudly on their wrists. These hawks would find a herd of Gazelle and circle around it in the sky, whereby the pack of Saluki would be released to chase and capture a victim, hold it down but not kill it. In Islam, the hound must not kill the prey or its meat cannot be consumed. Due to this decree, the Saluki were trained to hold the throat, cutting of the oxygen supply, thus rendering them unconscious to await the brave hunters knife. If the hunt was for hares, the Saluki would bring them back unmarked and alive. Sometimes the chase was short and fierce but it usually lasted for many miles, testing the stamina and heart of the Saluki.