RIYADH, 24 November 2003 — Car stunts, fireworks, laser shows, aerial displays, and poetry sessions will be the highlights of the Eid festivities in the capital, according to Riyadh Mayor Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Muqrin.
The mayor said Eid prayers will be held in more than 350 mosques including 20 specially-designated Eid grounds in the city. Government departments including the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the Riyadh Municipality joined forces with a number of private sector organizations to prepare for the festivities.
A number of entertainment programs for children and families have been lined up in different parts of the city to reduce crowds and congestion in particular areas.
King Fahd Stadium in the Naseem area, Prince Faisal ibn Fahd Stadium in Malaz, an open ground near Prince Sultan University and a vacant plot of land in the south of Suwedi district will be some of the venues, the mayor said.
The fireworks will begin at 9 p.m. on Eid day. Car and motorbike shows will be held at Malaz stadium in the city center, for men only. Similar shows for families will be between Exits 10 and 11 on the Ring Road.
Dr. Al-Muqrin said special Chinese and Egyptian cultural shows will also be organized this year, while sword dances will take place at the Qasr Al-Hukm Complex.
On the sidelines of the festivities, there will be poetry sessions together with drama, in different parts of the city and in Riyadh’s cultural centers.
An official from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs said alternative arrangements for Eid prayers in case of rain have also been made. The main prayer will be held at Imam Turki Mosque in Qasr Al-Hukm district.
The Riyadh police have made elaborate security arrangements in and around the capital, with a large number of mobile patrol teams, motorbike police and detectives to prevent any incidents during the holidays. Some banks will also open some of their branches during the Eid holidays for urgent transactions.
Meanwhile, camping equipment and picnic accessories are again in great demand ahead of the Eid holidays this year. “We have had a 50-percent increase in sales of steak, meat cubes and charcoal briquettes,” said Abdul Rahim, a supermarket supervisor. Sweets are also selling briskly.
