JEDDAH, 13 July 2007 — Hundreds of thousands of Saudis, expatriates and foreign tourists thronged the Corniche last night to witness the launch of the Jeddah tourism festival, one of the major annual events of the Kingdom.
A spectacular display of fireworks was the main attraction of the opening ceremony, which also included a laser show and an enchanting music and dance show. The 45-day festival was officially declared open by Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal.
About three million tourists and holidaymakers are expected to attend the festival that includes 226 events, mostly entertainment programs.
Saleh Al-Turki, chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), said this year’s Jeddah festival would be more successful than previous ones as a result of the tremendous support given by the Makkah governor.
“We have taken all the positive experiences from previous festivals and improved on negative aspects to ensure this year’s festival becomes the talk of the town,” the JCCI chief told reporters.
This year’s events include more cultural, entertainment and sports activities for women. A number of well-known Saudi and Arab singers are also scheduled to perform during the festival.
According to Ibrahim Badr, head of tourism at the JCCI, special fireworks would be staged every Thursday and Friday during the festival and shopping centers will be offering their own activities, in addition to massive sales and discounts.
Badr emphasized the importance of promoting domestic tourism, as it would strengthen the economy. “We should create a suitable atmosphere to attract investment in the tourism sector,” he said.
The JCCI official also called for organizing special tourism programs for the people of limited income groups, who represent the majority of the Kingdom’s population and earn a monthly salary of between SR2,000 and SR3,000.
Sami Idris, chairman of the festival, urged the cooperation of all parties including government departments, businesses and civil institutions to make the event a success. “Every citizen in the city should play his or her part for the success of the festival to make Jeddah a world-class tourist center,” he said.
Ahead of the launch, Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishaal chaired a meeting of the Jeddah Tourism Development Council on Wednesday and discussed ways to promote tourism in the city.
Prince Sultan ibn Salman, secretary-general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism, later met council members and discussed how to remove the obstacles facing Jeddah’s tourism development.
Over the past several years, the Jeddah Summer Festival has received large numbers of tourists and holidaymakers. Jeddah has many tourist attractions, including its 100-km-long developed coastline, museums, historical sites, recreational centers for families and children and large shopping malls in addition to five-star hotels with comfortable facilities and large conference halls.
The private sector has invested over SR12 billion in the last few years in Jeddah’s tourism sector. Market analysts estimate that this year’s festival would generate a revenue of SR3 billion.
