RIYADH, 15 November 2004 — It was a sight you seldom see in the capital. Hundreds of people of different nationalities were thronging the central area of the Al-Hukm Square in the capital’s downtown area.
The Sudanese were wearing their national long white thobe and their white turban, greeting one another in the streets. The Pakistanis were dressed in the salwar and kurta, with some wearing their hats, walking in small groups. The Yemenis had shummagh tucked and folded around their heads. And the Afghans, also wearing their hats and salwar and kurta, were there.
They were all going somewhere. The sounds of live music being projected over loud speakers placed around traffic lights could be heard blocks away. It was Eid and they wanted to join the crowds gathered around the Ruling Square to see the festivities organized by the Riyadh Development Authority (RDA).
Performed in the open area in front of the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice’s headquarters in the capital, there was a public show for everyone to attend. Light bulbs and decorations were dangling from the surrounding old buildings of the area and chairs were placed all around a large stage. Cameras were rolling and the show was about to start. The audience was so large that people stood behind the chairs watching, as there was no place for them to sit.
Moments later, the deputy governor of Riyadh, Prince Sattam arrived to inaugurate the official Eid celebrations of the city, which will be held for three days. Performing the Saudi national dance known as the “Arda,” the crowds watched in amazement as the deputy governor climbed on stage and took part. He was all smiles.
For some, it was the first time that they had seen such activities in the capital. A number of the foreigners attending even brought along their video cameras to record the moments for their folks to see back home. Others were taking shots from their camera phones.
Eighteen folklore bands representing several areas of Saudi Arabia took part in the event. All of the bands wore different styles of clothing representing the culture and traditions of that area. The dances were unique and all gave the viewers a taste of their region. Three bands, however, dominated the floor: The Asir band, the Wadi Al-Dawasir band and the Makkah band.
The Asiris began first. Wearing white thobes and white ghutras wrapped around their heads, every member of the troupe was carrying a curved Arab dagger, known as “khanjar.” Like other bands, the performers wore what in Saudi Arabia is called a “jambiya.” This is a traditional leather belt that comes in black, brown or white and holds the khanjar at the waist.
Since their dance involved a lot of drum beating, the Asiris were the band that evoked the most participation from the crowd. Children and adults alike began clapping with the music.
One of the unique aspects of the Asiri band was that one of their instruments was an empty metal date container. Adopted in Asir a long time ago, the container is emptied when dates are removed. It is then cleaned and burned from the inside. When beaten from the outside, it produces a loud sound, more powerful than the Arabic drum.
Immediately upon getting on stage, the Asiri band formed two groups standing and facing each other. Then the lead vocalist recited a poem. Following that the two groups began to repeat in chorus what the lead vocalist was singing. At the same time, two performers started dancing with their khanjars in the air, taking turns and giving signals to one another as each one finished.
The Wadi Al-Dawasir band was the most cheered by the multi-national crowd. Wearing the red shummagh, and black jambiyas that cross over the chest area in an X-shape, music was in their blood. After forming two groups upon entering the stage, they then broke up into smaller groups. The white thobes they wore were different than standard thobe. At the end of the sleeve of the dancer’s thobe was a long, triangular piece of extra cloth that was rotated left and right making it look as if the dancer were spreading his wings while moving.
The Makkan troupe, headed by Ali Al-Abdali, wore the traditional Makkan clothes of a white kofiya or cap with a colored white cloth wrapped around it to form a turban. Two bands performed last night. The first band did the “Khibaiti” dance, while wearing the traditional foota or sarong, which was brought into the Makkan culture from South East Asian countries hundreds of years ago. The other band presented the “mizmar” dance, which is a traditional dance in Makkah for rejoicing, done holding a long thin stick.
According to the RDA, these live performances will continue through the three official celebration days of Eid in the capital. All shows will be transmitted live on Saudi Arabian Television Channel 1. Some 45 restaurants in the area provided soft drinks and snacks to visitors who watched the show from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Even though the attendance on Saturday was about 4,000, RDA has estimated that more than 25,000 people will visit the area known as Medan Al-Hukm during the celebration. Families can also enjoy visiting other places in the area such as the Masmak Palace, a historical monument, which is open to all.
