RIYADH, 17 February 2006 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will attend a horse race featuring imported and domestic horses at the King Abdul Aziz race track today as part of the 21st Janadriya Festival that kicked off on Wednesday.
The first race for the Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Turki Cup will be run over a distance of 1,600 meters with a SR36,000 prize. The second race for the Abdul Aziz ibn Musaid Cup over 2,000 meters carries a prize of SR44,000. The third race for the Fahd ibn Jalawi Cup will cover a distance of 1,400 meters with a SR52,000 prize. The fourth race at 2,000 meters is the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques Trophy for the Saudi cavalry where a prize of SR215,000 is at stake. The fifth race, the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques Trophy for local horses, will be over 2,400 meters with a SR200,000 prize. The sixth and final race to be contested over 3,400 meters is the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques Trophy for imported horses with a SR200,000 prize.
The festival, which was inaugurated in 1985, was the idea of then-Crown Prince Abdullah. It features performances that celebrate the region’s Arab cultural diversity. For the first time, young boys and girls sang together in a choir before the king on Wednesday.
