RIYADH: For the first time the annual Janadriyah Heritage and Cultural Festival will allow families to attend, Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, deputy director of the committee that organizes the festival, announced yesterday.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will open the festival on Wednesday.
In previous years most of the festival days were for men only with a few reserved days for women. This year there will be family days. On family days men and women will be able to attend the festival at the same time. The festival will still reserve a day for women only.
“This step had been long waited for by society and was put on for discussion and study with Prince Miteb,” said Iqbal Al-Arfaj, coordinator of the festival’s cultural committee. “For the whole family to be together adds to their bonding and leaves a good impression on the children to have their father guiding and sharing their experience,” she added.
Fatima, a mother of four, agrees, saying that due to the size of the place and the various activities she used to face difficulty keeping her children at bay when she would go on the women-only days. “We used to go with our children and miss on sharing this experience with their father,” she said.
The festival, which plays a crucial role in preserving the Kingdom’s national heritage, begins with a traditional camel race and is intended to embrace all aspects of Saudi Arabian traditions and culture.
The opening day features traditional music by musicians from all over the Kingdom and dances by folklore troupes.
Al-Arfaj pointed out that despite this step of enabling the whole family to attend the festival, there will be certain places where only women are allowed.
“It is a part of our tradition and privacy, to leave a space for women to be at ease in experiencing crafts and skills that are related to them alone,” said Al-Arfaj.
Attendance at the festival is expected to break one million.
