RIYADH, 30 December — The Palestinian cause will be the main theme of the 17th Janadriah cultural and heritage festival, which will begin on Jan. 23, Prince Miteb ibn Abdullah, deputy commander of the National Guard, announced here yesterday.
Addressing a press conference, Prince Miteb said the all-encompassing festival this year would demonstrate the Arab solidarity to support the cause of Palestinians.
Intellectuals from across the Arab world are scheduled to deliver lectures on the Arab-Israeli conflict in a seminar on the sidelines of the festival. Special reference will be made on the efforts of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd during his 20-year reign to alleviate the sufferings of the Palestinian people.
The press briefing at the National Guard headquarters was attended by Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Subait, head of the executive committee for Janadriah festival; Faisal Moammar, deputy for cultural and educational affairs at the National Guard; and Sultan A. Al-Bazie, director general for public relations and protocol.
Prince Miteb said that a caravan of cultural heritage organized by the private sector would be one of the highlights of this year’s festival. "The caravan, the first of its kind anywhere, seeks entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. It will start from Dammam and reach Janadriah village, 45 km north of the capital city, on the inaugural day of the festival," the prince said.
This cultural procession will consist of more than 150 buses and trucks with each vehicle carrying a model of the participant firm or factory. The participant companies will have the opportunity to promote their products and services, as the two-week long festival is likely to attract over two million visitors.
Prince Miteb said five well-known Saudi businessmen — Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal, Saleh Kamel, Abdulrahman Al-Faqeeh, Abdulrahman Al-Khorayyaf and Abdullatif Al-Jabr — will be conferred the prestigious "Best Businessman Award for 2001" on the opening day of the festival.
The festivities include a traditional camel race and a glittering poetry and lyrical ballads session marked by the presence of hundreds of delegates from different countries.
Young Iraqi singer Mohannad Mohsen, the first Iraqi artist to perform in Saudi Arabia since 1990, will participate alongside several Arab performers who will stage a musical show depicting the development of Arab history on the opening day.
The lyrics for the show were written by Saudi Ambassador to Britain Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, and the music was composed by top Saudi artist Mohammad Abdu.
Mohsen will sing the part in the show on Baghdad under the Abbasid state in the eighth century.
The high-profile seminar on the Palestinian cause will be held on Jan. 25. A lecture on King Fahd’s efforts to promote the Palestinian cause will be delivered by Riyadh Governor Prince Salman.
Another topic to be taken up for discussion will be the rights of Muslims on Al-Quds and other religious places in Palestine.
Elaborate arrangements have been made by the National Guard to hold the opening and closing ceremonies at the Janadriah village auditorium, Prince Miteb said.
He said Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa will deliver a lecture on "Arab League: The future vision" on Jan. 26 at the King Faisal Hall of the Inter.Continental Hotel. This session will be chaired by Dr. Nizar Obaid Madani, assistant foreign minister. This will be followed by a poetry session devoted to Palestine and Al-Quds on Jan. 28.
Among other topics to be taken up for discussion during the weeklong seminar will be "Islam and extremism with special reference to the international war on terrorism".
Prince Miteb said a four-day cultural program and a seminar for women would be held at the King Abdul Aziz Public Library. Exclusive days for women to visit the festival grounds will be announced later.
Asked about other events to be staged on this occasion, he said a Qur’an contest and a book fair will be organized.
A fine arts exhibition will feature a range of subjects like the holy places in Islam, Jerusalem, the intifada, Arab solidarity on the issue of Palestine and achievements of King Fahd during his 20-year reign. The festival will also feature a range of rare antiques as well as arts and handicrafts of Saudi and Gulf organizations besides government agencies.
Prince Miteb said all preparations have been made to make the festival a grand success.
