Wij Cultural and Art Forum opened its fifth session at the Hall of Fahd Rada Al-Harthy in the Association for Culture and Arts in Taif on Saturday.

The event will host cultural and artistic activities until Wednesday. These include traditional arts and dances, Arabic calligraphy courses, fine arts courses for women, photography workshops, the performance of a play, entitled “The Dead Body Zero” and a traditional poetry evening.

Wij is the name of a valley near Taif.

Saudi writer Ahmed Mohammed Badeeb supports the forum and its director, Khalid Al-Harthy, said three contributors to the enrichment of the cultural movement in the Saudi Arabia would be honored. These would be novelist Hind Baghaffar, writer Abdul Aziz Aseeri and theatre actor Jumaan Al-Thuwaibi.

“We, as a team, believe from the start that it was our mission to make this forum a prominent addition to the other cultural and artistic forums in the Kingdom,” said Al-Harty.

Director of the Association for Arts and Culture Faisal Al-Khudaidi said, “This forum is one of the main activities of the association. It highlights various cultural and artistic activities that target all classes of society.”

He added that the association would honor the management team of Shubra historical palace in Taif.

The forum benefitted from the electronic questionnaires it distributed after the fourth edition of the event last year. “The suggestions of those who filled out the questionnaires helped make this event develop and grow,” said spokesman Sultan Al-Mansouri. “The current edition has been set up in line with the modern vision and objectives of the society.”

Taif Governor Fahad bin Abdul Aziz bin Muammar inaugurated the forum, in the presence of chairman of Saudi Arabia Society for Culture and Arts Sultan Al-Bazai and its general manager Abdul Aziz Alsimaeil, in addition to senior officials of the governorate.