JEDDAH, 27 June 2003 — Amid traffic jams and a huge crowd of spectators eagerly waiting for the ceremonial fireworks, Jeddah 24 — the city’s annual summer festival — was inaugurated last night under the auspices of Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium.
There was all-round enthusiasm as the festival began and fireworks followed. Some 200 events of entertainment and sports have been lined up during the month-long festival.
Most of these events will start from July 1, but some sports and watersports contests and championships begin today.
A music performance by Saudi and Gulf singers and a “Big Top” circus are among the events.
Some families have chosen not to spend their summer vacation outside the city.
“We would like to stay put to see as many events as possible. My children are already excited about most of them,” said Muhammad Ahmad Mufti, a downtown businessman who runs an outlet for electronics goods. “My children’s first choice is the circus.”
Some other residents said they might choose to leave only after the festival ends. “My family has been anxiously waiting for the festival to start and children are especially interested in participating in watersports competitions,” Faisal Al-Ghamdi, a management executive of a hospital in Mushrifa district, said.
“I may take my family to Jordan or Lebanon after the festival,” he added.
A long-time resident of the city welcomed the festival but wondered whether some of the roads would take the increased flow of traffic generated by people coming from other parts of the Kingdom.
“The city is expecting a lot of visitors. Already, there are traffic jams during peak hours along major city arteries, especially Madinah, Palestine and Tahlia Roads.”
The festival this time has many more events than last year’s 109 and so they will be a big attraction for families who otherwise would have traveled to places elsewhere in the Kingdom, according to a senior executive of ARA Media Services, which is organizing the festival in cooperation with the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The festival is expected to account for a tremendous boost to Jeddah’s image as a tourist destination in addition to its status as the gateway to the two holy cities.
Eighteen Saudi and Gulf artists will present songs on different days in a covered hall equipped with a state-of-the-art sound system at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium between July 3 and July 9.
The “Big Top,” being organized by Moumena for Recreation, is getting ready for organizing a show a day during the whole of July at its fully air-conditioned pavilion, within earshot of Toys-R-Us and Al-Aziziyah Panda Superstore in Al-Andalus district, during the festival.
There will be nearly 30 shows at the Big Top with professional acts. The menu includes games and adventures. The pavilion is air-conditioned and will accommodate 3,000 spectators.
“Our company has recruited about 25 Saudis to provide secondary support and also gain experience as a result of their involvement with other professionals in implementation, preparation, operation and promotion of the circus.”
The Green Island on the Corniche will participate in the festival by organizing 60 shows by a group comprising six talented children — Osam, Noorhan, Nooran, Merina, Shadi and Ziad — who have been appearing in the “Baby Fein” TV show.
The group, which has already traveled across Qatar, Oman and Bahrain, will give two shows every evening in an air-conditioned tent accommodating 500 people.
