RIYADH, 14 October 2007 — Deputy Governor of Riyadh Prince Sattam inaugurated on Friday night the Riyadh Festival heralding the launch of a cultural extravaganza for the next two days as part of Eid Al-Fitr festivities.
The event, held at the Qasr Al-Hukm Square downtown, was attended by thousands of people, including Saudis, expatriates and their families.
The deputy governor was received on arrival by Riyadh Mayor Prince Abdul Aziz Al-Ayyaf and other officials from the municipality.
Prince Sattam, accompanied by Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the mayor, members of the royal family and senior officials of the Arriyadh Development Authority, participated in the Ardha (Saudi traditional dance), kicking off the round of festivities in Qasr Al-Hukm, Malaz and other parts of the capital.
The entire area was bathed in flood light as cultural troupes from different parts of the Kingdom regaled the onlookers with spectacular traditional dances. They cheered and roared their approval as the dancers swayed with their swords to the sound of music and drums in unison with Prince Sattam and other dignitaries.
The Ardha dance was followed by five other cultural shows from Wadi Al-Dawassir, Jizan, Makkah, Dammam and Hail. They were a combination of sword and dagger dances. Overall, 18 folklore shows will be staged during the festival period. The timings are from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Fireworks staged in the Prince Faisal ibn Fahd Stadium in the Malaz area also triggered a wave of excitement in the huge gathering that had built up since afternoon.
A total of 11,000 crackers exploded at six locations, including Malaz, lighting up the night sky in a spectacular show of sound and light at the same time.
All roads leading up to the respective sites were jammed with cars and pick-ups, as thousands of Saudis and expatriates thronged the venues armed with cameras, cell phones and video cameras clicking away feverishly to record the events for their memory lane. The show was performed from 9.15 p.m. to 9.25 p.m.
The other excitement of the evening was the car and motorcycle show at the Riyadh Ring Road (Exit 10 & 11), where a huge crowd, consisting only of families, watched ace Saudi drivers maneuvering their cars on two wheels, bringing a rush of adrenalin to the onlookers. Not to be outsmarted, the motor cyclists took off on one wheel amid a thunderous applause from the spectators. They also jumped across several stationary vehicles in this game of one-upmanship.
Speaking to Arab News, Diane Daudin, a French journalist, said: “There are a lot of activities going on here, particularly near the King Abdul Aziz Historical Center, such as folklore, songs and dances. They are really unusual and marvelous,” she said.
“I have also been invited to my friend’s house to savor the special food. I shall camp out in the desert with my friends, chatting and exchanging views on our culture. Later, I shall stop over at an Istiraha (spacious compounds on the outskirts of the city) for taking tea, getting the feel of Eid, and calling up my friends,” she added.
Ahmed Al-Suwailem, a Saudi national, thanked the Riyadh Municipality for its initiative.
“I usually used to travel abroad during Eid holidays to get away from the boredom of Riyadh on such occasions. But with the kind of road shows put up by the municipality, I can now enjoy my Eid right here,” he added.
