RIYADH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday addressed about 1,000 foreign dignitaries who came to attend the National Heritage and Culture Festival in Janadriya and asked them to carry a message of good will from Saudi Arabia to their respective countries.
In a brief speech at a luncheon hosted at Al-Yamamah Palace here, the king thanked the guests and told them to convey the greetings of the people of Saudi Arabia to their fellow countrymen.
“I welcome you all with the greetings of Islam to Saudi Arabia,” King Abdullah said. The king received a commemorative gift from the delegates on the occasion of the silver jubilee of the Janadriya festival. The festival is designed to portray the variety of cultural aspects of the Kingdom’s different regions. A wide range of activities, including sword dances, heritage and history exhibitions, culinary specialties and stunts are organized to educate and entertain visitors.
Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja, who hosted a luncheon in honor of the foreign guests after Friday prayers, told the participants that the Kingdom’s purpose in inviting guests to the annual cultural festival was to let the world know about the Kingdom’s rich culture and heritage. The minister said that interaction would lead to understanding between Saudi Arabia and other countries.
King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain said the annual event provided a good opportunity for Muslims in the region to interact with one another on various cultural issues. He also described the show as an intellectual event at which scholars from the region were able to put forward their ideas.
Jazan Gov. Prince Muhammed bin Nasser said that his exhibition projected the cultural aspects of the province including its unique handicrafts. Madinah Gov. Prince Abdul Aziz bin Majed said that his region had been well portrayed at the show.
Mohammed Rizmi Reyal, who came from Colombo at the invitation of the Saudi government, told Arab News that the show presented the correct image of Saudi Arabia. “What we hear in the media is not what we see here,” Reyal said, describing Saudi Arabia as a country with a rich heritage of which every Saudi citizen could be proud.
