JEDDAH, 4 August 2007 — The 10-day Souk Okaz Festival will begin in Taif today. The original Souk Okaz was an annual fair held in Taif more than a thousand years ago. The distinguishing feature of the ancient fair was that the major poets in the Arabian Peninsula would assemble there and recite their best works.
Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, chairman of the higher committee for the festival, will attend the opening function.
“The festival will be held at the same location where a historic annual souk was held about more than 14 centuries ago,” said Muhammad Al-Thobaity, head of the media section of the festival committee.
“The present festival will revive the memories of the earliest souk in the history of the Arabian Peninsula. It will draw a large number of visitors from inside and outside the Kingdom.”
The organizing committee sent out invitations to more than 2,000 eminent Arab thinkers, writers, poets, historians and other cultural activists inside and outside the Kingdom, he said.
The committee has also fixed 100 road signs and welcome boards to the venue where the festival is being held. Luxury buses will transport the visitors to the souk and back. The major event in the festival would be the Okaz seminar titled “the Symbol and History,” tomorrow.
Princess Anud bint Abdullah ibn Muhammad, wife of Prince Khaled, will open the women’s events tomorrow at the area set apart for them.
There will also be arts exhibitions, lectures and, of course, souks for shopping.
