JEDDAH, 15 September 2006 — Street parades, music, dance, lucky draws and street decorations are just some of the things that will mark this year’s four-day Saudi National Day celebrations on Sept. 23.
Jeddah Mayor Adel Faqeeh said on Wednesday, “This year there will be more events and street decorations across Jeddah.” Faqeeh said celebrations are set to begin three days before the National Day with 16 different parades to be held across the Red Sea port city. Faqeeh added that for the first time there would be a number of lucky draws for people to win cars during the festival.
The four areas where parades will take place include the south and north Corniche, the historical area in downtown Jeddah (Balad) and in Abrug Al-Rigama. The parades will include military music bands, traditional musicians and dancers, schoolchildren and boy scouts.
The King Abdul Aziz Cultural Center would also be open for the first time on the National Day where it would host four different picture and art exhibitions.
The center was recently completed after having been under construction for 18 years due to various financial reasons, he said. “Now the center is complete and would be open for the public,” he said.
In the downtown Balad area Faqeeh said there would be a procession that would include camels and traditional dancers.
