RIYADH, 4 March 2008 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah is scheduled to open the 23rd annual Janadriya Culture and Heritage Festival tomorrow with Turkey participating in the festival for the first time as guest of honor.
The festivities will begin with a camel race involving 600 camels from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. An hourlong operetta, the songs of which have been written by Prince Saad ibn Saud, a musical and a folklore dance will be among the highlights of the opening day.
Saudi singers Muhammad Abdu, Abdul Majeed Abdullah, Rabih Sagr, Rashid Al-Majed, Rashed Al-Faris and Abbas Ibrahim will take part in a live program, which will be directed by Fatees Baqna. Organizers said 20 handicapped students would also take part in the operetta.
The two-weekslong festival, which takes place in Janadriya, a village located 45 km north of Riyadh, is aimed at highlighting Saudi Arabia’s diverse culture and heritage. The event features artists, food, costumes, architecture and wedding customs as well as traditional music and dance from all regions of the Kingdom.
“Janadriya has become a major Arab Cultural festival,” said Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Subait, undersecretary at the National Guard and chairman of the Janadriya Festival Organizing Committee. He said the festival would discuss a number of cultural and intellectual issues that concern the Arab and Islamic Ummah.
Saleha Al-Otaibi, a spokeswoman of the organizing committee, said that three days — March 17, 18 and 19 — have been reserved for families.
Sheikh Abdul Aziz ibn Abdul Mohsen Al-Tuwaijeri, former assistant deputy commander of the National Guard, would be honored posthumously on the opening day. Al-Tuwaijeri started his career during the reign of King Abdul Aziz, the Kingdom’s founder, as a volunteer in his army. He died in June 2007.
Turkish Ambassador to the Kingdom Naci Koru said his country would present a variety of cultural programs during the festival, highlighting Turkish heritage and culture. It will also hold two seminars focusing on Saudi-Turkish relations apart from a Turkish food show and handicraft exhibition.
Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Ertugrul Gunay will deliver a speech at the festival’s opening ceremony. A contingent of some 100 artists representing different regions of Turkey will also participate.
“Moreover, traditional folkloric dances reflecting the cultural diversity of Turkey will be performed by Turkish dancers,” said the ambassador.
Al-Subait said a number of seminars would be held as part of the festival with intellectuals and experts from Saudi Arabia and abroad participating. They include a seminar on the Palestinian issue and another focusing on the role of Saudi media in the age of globalization.
The festival includes special programs for women and children. The women’s programs, which include seminars, a handicraft show and cultural presentations, will be held at the King Abdul Aziz Historical Center. Eighteen dramas will be staged to entertain children, the organizers said.
Other programs include a Qur’an memorization contest for Saudi students including girls, the Aradha sword dance with the participation of Saudi royals, an art show of Saudi painters, a book show with the participation of more than 100 publishing houses and a traditional souk showcasing Saudi handicrafts and traditions from different parts of the Kingdom.
The festival attracts hundreds of thousands of Saudis and other GCC citizens as well as a large number of foreign residents in the Kingdom.
Many foreign tourists also visit Janadriya to get a first-hand experience of Saudi culture. “The most fun I had at the festival was riding the camel and learning about its extraordinary abilities and characteristics,” said German TV producer Peter Schroeder after visiting the festival last year.
“The festival’s wide range of activities was an inspiration. I got a lot of ideas and in fact, started working on two new paintings of Saudi Arabia’s beautiful landmarks,” said a French painter after visiting the cultural extravaganza.
