MAKKAH, 15 June 2003 — The first Makkah Festival, which opens tomorrow, hopes to attract more than one million visitors.
Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed will open the event.
According to sources on the organizing committee, preparations are complete to receive between 600,000 and one million visitors within a month.
More than 30 cultural, entertainment and marketing activities have been lined up for the festival. The goal of the festival is to stimulate and invigorate the Makkah market. More than 24 Shariah and sociology teachers as well as Islamic speakers will participate in the festival. There will be four theater shows for children in addition to an airplane show.
Women will also participate in the festival and there is a 3,000 square meter open market for women only. It has been divided into 60 sections where women’s goods, clothes, accessories and beauty products will be sold. The market will have female employees only.
History will be a part of the festival and an old traditional Makkah house will be built. Lectures will be delivered on traditional Makkah hospitality.
Since this is the first festival in Makkah, the committee hopes that it will attract hundreds of thousands of visitors, especially as it is being held during the summer vacation.
