RIYADH: ARAB NEWS
A giant 2.5-meter waterskin may become a major attraction at the Palm and Date Festival currently underway in Riyadh, reported the Saudi Press Agency yesterday.
The waterskin is at the exhibition ground near the Eastern Ring Road and is made of camel skin. It is filled with a sponge material because it cannot be carried manually if filled with water.
The skin was manufactured in 45 days and has the capacity to hold a full tank of water.
Waterskins were used to cool, carry or preserve water before modern cooling technology and water trucks were invented.
The giant waterskin was tanned using traditional techniques and equipped with a wooden holder, said Abdul Rahman Al-Qassim who supervised the making of the container. He said that in ancient times a camel belly preserved a lot of water while traveling in the desert. He hoped that the huge water skin would attract a large number of visitors and familiarize them on how water was cooled and preserved in the past.