RIYADH, 24 January Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, inaugurated here yesterday the 17th National Heritage and Culture Festival at Janadriah village, some 45 kilometers north of Riyadh.
The glittering inaugural ceremony was attended by several members of the royal family, high-ranking Saudi officials and diplomats. The dignitaries present included Bahraini Emir Sheikh Hamad ibn Isa Al-Khalifa, Riyadh Governor Prince Salman, Prince Mishaal ibn Abdul Aziz, Vice Governor of Riyadh Prince Sattam and Deputy Chief of the National Guard Prince Lt. Gen. Miteb ibn Abdullah.
The festival began with the traditional and spectacular camel race, which was watched by a capacity crowd at the Janadriah grounds. Crown Prince Abdullah gave away prizes to the five winners of the event later in the evening.
The festival, organized by the National Guard, has been drawing regional and international interest as it mirrors the Kingdom’s history and heritage.
An opera written by Saudi Ambassador to Britain, Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, was performed during the inaugural ceremony. The music for the operetta was composed by the famous Saudi artist and singer Muhammad Abdu.
A group of famous singers — including Muhammad Abdu from Saud Arabia, Ahmed Fathi from Yemen, Shadi Al-Khaliej from Kuwait, Mohammad Muhsin from Iraq, Noor Mahana from Syria, Waiel Al-Yazaji from Palestine, Hani Shakir from Egypt and Abdul Hadi from Morocco — performed in the opera.
Thanking Crown Prince Abdullah for his presence on the occasion, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Subait, undersecretary at the National Guard, said the Arabs have refused to identify themselves with alien cultures. He reminded the audience that Saudi culture is deep-rooted in Islamic ethics. The Kingdom has emerged as a modern nation, which follows the tenets preached by Islam, he noted.
National Guard officials said a weeklong symposium on the sidelines of the festival will begin today at the Inter.Continenatal Hotel here. The seminar will focus on the Palestinian issue. Al-Subait noted that a paper prepared by Riyadh Governor Prince Salman on "King Fahd and Palestine problem" will be read out by Prince Miteb on Friday.
Crown Prince Abdullah also honored five prominent Saudi businessmen — Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal, Saleh Kamel, Abdul Rahman Faqeeh, Abdul Rahman Al-Khoraif and Abdullatif Al-Jaber — in appreciation of their outstanding contributions to the country’s economic development. The five were presented with King Abdul Aziz Medal of the First Order.
Prince Alwaleed, one of the leading Saudi businessmen and chairman of the Kingdom Holding Company, has investments in various sectors including education, health and real estate.
Saleh Kamel, chairman of the Dallah Albaraka Group, has business activities in various sectors including banks, financing, insurance, real estate, tourism, media, agriculture, industry and maintenance.
Abdul Rahman Faqeeh is the owner of the Faqeeh Poultry Farms. His fast food chain, Tazej, is operational in 12 countries. Abdul Rahman Al-Khoraif, chairman of the Khoraif group of companies, has been involved in business activities since he was an intermediate student.
Ahsa-born Abdullatif Al-Jaber, is the co-founder and executive president of the Dammam-based Al-Jaber Trading Company, and is the chairman of Arab National Bank.
The five businessmen were selected for the award by a special panel formed on the basis of a Cabinet decision. The nominees for the award must have made considerable contributions toward Saudization of jobs, training of Saudis and transfer of technology, and their products must meet local market requirements.
More than 400 delegates — including Arab scholars, writers, prominent thinkers and artists — have been invited to participate in the festival. It will be open for visitors every day from today. Females can visit the festival on Feb. 5 and 6, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
— with inputs by Galal Fakkar
