“These people are all members of my family from Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan. When I realized that they would all be coming for Haj this year, I felt I needed to invite them and so I held this party on the corniche,” said Jaweed Hasan, 36, who lives in Jeddah and runs a Bukhari rice and chicken eatery.
“I felt that if they were to visit Jeddah, then they had to enjoy Jeddah’s seaside before returning to Afghanistan,” he added.
The group was joined by other family members and friends who live in the Kingdom. Since the party was large, they occupied a large portion of the corniche, attracting the attention of onlookers and passersby. “I wanted to treat my guests to local Saudi food, but some of the elders opted for our local cuisine,” said Hasan.
“I came to Makkah with all of my family to perform Haj this year,” said Sheikh Osman, who is head of the clan. “This is our first time in Saudi Arabia. Some of the elders with me here are my brothers and cousins. I also wanted to take this opportunity to meet members of my family who are residing in the Kingdom,” he said.
“We visited Madinah and now we’re in Jeddah. This city is a unique place being situated between these two holy cities. This is especially the case since most of us thought the Kingdom was totally desert. To be honest, seeing a city by the sea is fascinating for us. Afghanistan is landlocked,” he said.
Some of Hasan’s cousins and relatives who reside in other cities in the Kingdom were also invited to the party. Ali, a 23-year-old food shop owner, drove all the way from Taif to Jeddah to meet an uncle. “It is kind of strange not to be able to meet my uncle back home in Afghanistan and to meet him here in Jeddah,” he said.
“After this dinner, our guests will be heading back to Afghanistan. I wish them a peaceful trip,” said Jaweed.
