JEDDAH, 30 June 2005 — India is organizing a monthlong festival here in September. Outlining the details of the festival described as the first of its kind, Consul General Dr. Ausaf Sayeed said the event would not be devoted to culture and food alone, but other vital aspects like promoting bilateral business and investment would also be given utmost importance.
All community associations and schools are coming together to jointly organize the festival that will be held at different venues.
Aside from the high-profile inauguration in which top Saudi dignitaries will be invited, there will be a major event daily throughout the month. Two exhibitions of photographs depicting India’s Islamic monuments will be organized. The festival will also be marked by visits of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy and a delegation of Confederation of Indian Industry.
The festival will have India as its theme and so even expats other than Indian will be encouraged to exhibit their talent and take part in the event. “The festival also needs an apt logo and anyone coming up with the best entry will be rewarded,” Dr. Sayeed said.
Highlights of the festival include food festival at Hotel Trident, cultural programs, photo exhibitions including one on Indian monuments by K.N. Wasif, Indian stamp and coins show and competition, and seminars on historical and cultural contacts between the two countries, investment opportunities in India, Urdu fiction, education and career guidance.
The event will also include Mohammed Aziz nite, indoor and outdoor sports competitions, art and craft competition for children, fun and food fair/bazaar, tourism road show, book exhibition, discover India quiz, etc.
Meanwhile, India is taking major steps to promote education in this part of the world. While it is initiating steps to bring within the scope of distance education some of the best-known Indian universities and other institutions of higher learning, it has proposed to establish education links with Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Sayeed, who was accompanied by Hifzur Rahman, consul (information, press and administration), said he had a meeting with King Abdul Aziz University President Dr. Osama Sadiq Tayyab.
“I had a fruitful meeting with Dr. Tayyab and discussed the prospects of establishing links between KAAU and certain universities in India,” Dr. Sayeed said, adding that establishing and strengthening cooperation in education between the two countries is a follow-up of the discussions that took place during the last Saudi-India Joint Commission meeting. He said Indian universities like Osmania and Jamia Milia could be considered for cooperation by the KAAU.
Sayeed said that while Dr. Tayyab had accepted his invitation to visit India and meet with education heads across the country, he was also considering organizing a delegation of vice chancellors from Indian universities to the Kingdom. A road show on education is also being planned in November, which will focus on Indian universities and educational institutions for higher learning.