RIYADH, 18 February 2006 — The Janadriya National Heritage and Culture Festival opened its doors to the public yesterday with thousands of people flocking there to experience the Kingdom’s cultural diversity.
Jizan, Asir, Al-Baha, Qassim, Najran, Hail, Makkah, Madinah and Al-Hasa were all represented by showcase “villages” that offered festival attendees an opportunity to explore the country’s food, arts and crafts, and regional dances without leaving the capital.
Goran Strok, a European who works in the hotel business, said he was visiting Saudi Arabia and the National Heritage and Cultural Festival for the first time. He said contrary to the negative images of the Kingdom in the Western media, he has now seen first hand what the country is like.
“People read a lot about Saudi Arabia but when you come here and see the hospitality and gentility, you get an entirely different view. We are going to be good ambassadors when we return home,” he said. “We read newspapers but they are not always objective in their reports on the Kingdom.”
After visiting the various villages that represent different regions and cultures in the Kingdom, Strok said the festival was well organized and of high standard that could be compared to the finest of festivals held elsewhere in the world.
He praised the good manners, hospitality and generosity of so many Saudis he met at the festival.
One of the interesting pavilions at the festival was the Jizan village. The region, in the far south of the Kingdom near the Yemeni border, is known for its many valleys, mountainous terrain and Red Sea coastline. Some parts of the region are 3,500 meters above sea level where the weather is fair in summer. Winter season brings rain, overflowing the valleys to nearby farms. The region’s greenery has been an eye-catcher for visitors, both citizens and expatriates.
Jizan’s coastal area spans from Al-Mawsim in the south to Al-Shugaig in the north.
Visitors to the Jizan village can view the region’s main architectural styles, including the “Mountain Houses” made from rocks. Inside the village is a cultural center where visitors can watch documentaries about the region, its history, cultural highlights, antiquities and the human and natural resources.
Visitors can sample the region’s cuisine, including Marsa (made from wheat bread, banana and honey) and Aseeda (made from wheat bread, oil and mutton).
Ali Al-Jabali, a Jizani cook in the village, said that his region is rich in its assorted dishes. “I cook myself and supervise the cooking done in my restaurant. This is an old tradition that I have inherited from my father who passed it down to me. I have taught my sons the secrets of this occupation,” he said.
Many foreign visitors were seen at the festival yesterday.
A Croatian woman who works in designing said that before visiting the Kingdom to see the festival she had the impression that the Kingdom was a “primitive” country. “On the contrary, when I visited Saudi Arabia the stereotype totally changed. I was astonished by the Arabian hospitality and the modernity of the Kingdom,” she said.
She said she realized on visiting the festival on the first day that the Kingdom had a rich heritage and cultural traditions.
