- ABHA: Women are angry that organizers of the Asir province pavilion at the annual Janadriya National Cultural Festival near Riyadh — Saudi Arabia’s showcase annual cultural event — have decided that no Asiri women would be allowed to showcase their cultural contributions to this region in the southwest of the Kingdom.
“The feminine heritage in Asir is not a joke,” said Nura Abu Abthan, a designer of traditional, very colorful women’s dress from the region. “It should not be undermined by the organizers. Asir women should not be excluded from this national event.”
The women who want to participate are not just acting as representatives of their contribution to Asir regional culture — it also offers an opportunity for them to promote their work at a time when the Kingdom is seeking to promote domestic tourism and job opportunities for women involved in arts and crafts. The festival attracts huge crowds.
Abu Abthan said that when she asked why women would be banned from the festival, the male organizers declined to answer.
Abdullah Shahir of the local King Fahd Cultural Center said Janadriya organizers have nothing to do with the decision, and that it has been decided by local officials who are organizing Asir’s contributions to the event.
