JEDDAH, 25 October 2006 — Jeddah turned into a big festival that began on Monday and continued yesterday (and will continue through tomorrow) as crowds of families convened on Jeddah’s seaside Corniche and inside amusement parks and cafes to celebrate the occasion.
The Corniche from Ubhor beach to the north down to the historic center (Al-Balad) was packed with locals, Saudi out-of-towners and expatriates.
Fireworks exploded at two locations on the Corniche while seemingly every child in the area came packing heat: Firecrackers and pop-bottle rockets going off up and down the boardwalk.
Teens dressed in traditional thobes or funky Western garb were seen dancing to the loud Arabic pop music (and a smattering of US hip-hop) blaring from tricked-out vehicles, some booming with enormous amplified speakers in back seats and trunks.
The city’s ritzy Tahlia Street was also alive with revelry.
In the city’s Ghulail district, neighbors hung outside greeting each other and laughing, some sitting on lawn chairs, others on carpets, nearly all drinking tea and eating chocolates, Turkish delights or other festive treats.
Salman Matar, a resident of Ghulail, said the neighborly love-in is an annual tradition, usually followed by folks heading out to visit family in other parts of the city or beyond, or venturing family picnics in the desert.
“They can have the Corniche,” he said. “It’s too crowded. We prefer to go to the desert, erect a camp and stay there for a day or two with the family.”
Ahmad Al-Ghamdi, Jeddah resident, said that he reserved a chalet in Durrat Al-Arus resort, in Dhaban area by the beach two months before Eid. He noted that staying in a resort is a much better experience than hanging with the plebeians on the Corniche.
“We used to go to Egypt or Lebanon for Eid, but here it is much better because we can still see our relatives and friends,” he said.
Meanwhile, Riyadh’s royal palace was buzzing with activity yesterday as thousands convened near a main stage to watch the official celebrations in the capital. Saudis were joined by Afghans, Pakistanis, Egyptians, Bangladeshis, Indians, Syrians, Jordanians, Filipinos, Europeans and others to watch folklore dances from each region in the Kingdom. Each of the Kingdom’s various cultural regions was projected for the first time on jumbo screens for everyone in attendance to see.
Lights dangled from nearby buildings, palm trees were decorated with lightings, and spotlights from rooftops of buildings nearby shot up in the air.
Behind the stage were artificial structures made from plaster that resembled the old mud buildings in the capital before the unification of the Kingdom. Attending the main event on behalf of Governor of Riyadh Prince Salman was Riyadh Mayor Prince Abdul Aziz Al-Muqrin.
The show started with a brief introduction on the large screen of the area of Jizan (in the southwest of the Kingdom), its landscape, people and customs. The Jizani band then took to the stage, wearing their traditional garland of flowers crowning their heads. Band members also wore a long sash of wild flowers wrapped over their shoulders, representing the agriculture and flowers in the area.
Following the Jizani dance was the folklore dance from the Eastern Province, as a regional band took to the stage wearing white ghutras (head dresses) and gray thobes (the Saudi long-shirt). Those performances were followed by dances from Wadi Al-Dawasir, Makkah and Asir.
In addition to the folklore dances, a competition between two poets was staged where each poet with his team competed with one another.
“I’ve been here in the capital for 13 years. And this is the first time I am attending the festivity,” said Abdul Ameen, a Pakistani national who works as a construction worker sitting in the crowd. “I had heard about this event from friends last year and thought if I came I would not find a place to sit. I did not realize there are so many different folklore dances in the Kingdom.”
Dr. Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, a medical consultant, said he particularly chose to remain in the capital this year to go to Jeddah and the Eastern Province because of the many festivities in the capital.
“I brought my two children with me and wanted them to see the different folklore dances that represent the different regions of the Kingdom. I think it is important that they learn how diversified our country is,” he said.
He said he was happy with the many activities in the capital this year, especially since many of them allocated separate seating areas for women. He also said that he supports the idea different local customs being taught in textbooks for children.
In addition to the main ruling palace area in central Riyadh, the municipality of Riyadh provided 20 kiosks to sell snacks, drinks and ice cream in the nearby Al-Adl Square. Many families with their children enjoyed their evening last night walking through the area.
In addition to the men’s area, a separate area that accommodates 2,000 persons has been provided for women to see the event.
Expatriates in Saudi Arabia were out in force as well, being welcomed at the public festivities, or planning their own celebrations.
Trips outside Riyadh, alfresco parties in parks and farms, or staying indoors for quieter moments with families and friends. This is the loop through which expatriates have been going on the second day of Eid Al-Fitr festivities.
“Some 20 families have now assembled in the Jubaila Farm outside Riyadh,” said Musharraf Ali Khursheed, chief pharmacist at a Saudi hospital, on phone from the farm. “We are having a ball of a time playing cricket, football, and lazing around and chatting amid lush greenery near the Saudi solar village.”
He said expatriates always look forward to the holiday season for barbecue outings, with children’s games and lucky draws thrown in to heighten the sense of excitement. In addition, Eid Milan parties for expatriates and their families are being held on a bigger scale in “istrahas” outside Riyadh.
The Filipino community, too, had a good time either going to the Western or the Eastern regions. Others have decided to stay put in Riyadh and visit some places in the city like the famed Red Sand, a red sandy stretch on the outskirts of the capital.
