The prince made the statement in a talk show with the Saudi Channel 1 Thursday.
“We do not tolerate any violation of our national security. It is a matter that cannot tolerate any tinkering. The security is our red line that we will never allow any one to cross. We will not allow anything that violates the Islamic Shariah under which the country has been growing since its founding. We will not allow any one to stir sedition nor will we condone any disgraceful event in the Janadriyah though we know that errors can occur in any work,” the prince said.
Prince Miteb said it was Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah who developed the camel race at the Janadriyah to an international festival.
He said the National Guard and the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice did not allow any unbecoming events at the festival, adding that an event of huge crowd should not be judged on the basis of minor incidents. He also said he had consulted many religious scholars on matters related to the festival.
Referring to the tremendous response from both citizens and foreigners who flocked to the Janadriyah village, Prince Miteb said that the festival is meant for all citizens and foreigners in the Kingdom. “This is the vision of King Abdullah who wanted to make it a festival for all the people by showcasing the hallmarks of the Kingdom’s heritage and history in a single village of Janadriyah. Hence, it was developed from a camel race to a festival where all the regions and government departments were competing with each other to display the best of what they have,” he said.
Quoting the latest figures, Prince Miteb said that nearly 30 to 35 percent of visitors were youngsters. “This shows the younger generation’s eagerness to know more about the Kingdom’s rich history and heritage. There were families who visited more than once,” he said, while unveiling plans to increase transportation facilities so as to enable more visitors, especially school students, to reach the village. There were over 200,000 parking spaces in the village.
Prince Miteb denied rumors that the festival’s budget was about SR500 million. “The government’s estimated budget for the festival was SR14 million,” he said. The prince noted that the festival has spurred economic activities in Riyadh. “The festival was not only a cultural and heritage activity but also an economic activity. The volume of sales at the village during the two-week festival reached SR350 million,” he said adding that some pavilions had sales amounting to four to five million riyals.
According to Prince Miteb, several Arab and friendly countries have expressed their willingness to take part in the festival. “We are exploring the prospect of having two guest of honor countries —one Arab and one friendly country — in future festivals,” he added.
