“Thousands of people are coming to the show which depicts the heritage and culture of Saudi Arabia,” said a senior official from the Janadriya Public Relations Department.
“The show is open to men and schoolchildren until Monday; the number of visitors will treble when it opens to families on Wednesday,” he added.
Monday and Tuesday have been allocated as women-only days; the festival will be open to families from Wednesday until April 2.
King Abdullah extended the last date of the show from March 31 to April 2 to allow more visitors.
Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, deputy commander of the National Guard for Executive Affairs and vice president of the Supreme Committee for Janadriya Festival, hosted a luncheon at the Janadriya village in honor of visiting guests.
During the luncheon, Prince Miteb delivered a speech welcoming guests and outlined the significance of the cultural event.
Expressing his happiness, Omani writer and researcher Dr. Abdullah Ali Al-Olayan said the presentation at the festival’s grand symposium — entitled “King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz’s Vision for Dialogue, Peace and Coexistence” — confirmed the king’s interest in providing an opportunity for the exchange of ideas among people from various cultures and civilizations to live in peace and unity.
Al-Olayan pointed out that the recognition of Abdullah bin Idriss as this year’s Personality of the Festival signifies the Kingdom’s care for intellectuals and writers in the aesthetic world.
Najran Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah will lay the foundation for the heritage village of Najran province at the Janadriya grounds on Sunday. Prince Mishaal lauded the great attention given by King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan to nurturing the Kingdom’s heritage and culture. The Najran village will be built on an area of more than 10,000 square meters.
The Kingdom’s recent developments and its health care services have been well displayed in the Ministry of Health pavilion.
Minister of Health Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah’s recent efforts for a nationwide health awareness campaign were well depicted at the pavilion with audio and visual aids.
The Consumer Protection Association, which has made its maiden entry to the show, will hold a seminar on Sunday evening to highlight its role in society.
