The traditional products — art, accessories, clothes, perfumes and souvenirs — have been made by middle-income Saudi families, who will also be at hand to demonstrate how the items were made.
The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities is supporting the exhibition. Handmade products will also be on sale at 70 stalls at the fair. Fifteen other stores will sell traditional food and coffee, while three stalls have been allocated for photography. The fair will be characterized by plays, folk dances, art exhibitions and poetry sessions. Over 300 people are expected to attend the event.
The opening will include the laying of a foundation stone for the Souk Okaz Tent, which is to cost SR36 million and will be built by the Saudi Binladin Company. The tent will cover an area of 4,000 square km and accommodate over 3,000 people. It will feature halls, offices and public utilities. The tent will be ready in time — in eight months — for next year’s fair.
The opening will include a speech by Minister of Culture and Information Abdul Aziz Khoja and a video presentation about previous winners of the fair’s poetry competition. Twelve cultural events including a play about Tarafa ibn Al-Abd, a famous 6th-century Arab poet, will take place during the fair. The play has been produced by the High Look Media Production Group and will be directed by Shadi Ashour.
This year’s fair will also have a book fair specially showcasing the writings of Arab authors. Writers will also be at hand to speak about writing and publishing. The organizers have received 480 cultural works, including poetry pieces, for the event from 21 countries. Prizes worth SR970,000 will be handed out to the winners.
