Colorful start to EP summer festival

Dazzling fireworks lit up the night sky on the Dammam Corniche on Tuesday, as Eastern Province Gov. Prince Muhammad bin Fahd launched the month-long summer festivities.
Massive tents have been pitched in the popular King Abdullah Park to receive thousands of holidaymakers for a series of cultural, entertainment, sports and educational activities for the whole family.
The colorful inauguration ceremony was attended by Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA); Prince Abdul Aziz bin Fahd bin Abdullah Al-Saud, chairman of the Eastern Province Tourism Development Council; Dammam Mayor Dhaifullah bin Ayesh Al-Otaibi; and Asharqia Chamber chief Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed.
As soon as the governor arrived in the specially erected tent, the crowd — men, women and colorfully dressed children — put their hands together in a massive and uproarious show of support.
Prince Muhammad acknowledged their cheers and jubilation by waving back at the merrymakers.
Soon after a brief speech and declaring the festival open, the governor and the SCTA chief performed the traditional ardha dance.
Dammam Mayor Al-Otaibi said this year’s summer festival would cover 100,000 sq m on the Corniche, catering to the needs of families, children and the youth.
“There will be more than 50 events in a single day for the enjoyment of tourists and holidaymakers,” he said.
The programs included cultural contests, folk dances, sports, exhibition of goods made by productive families, lectures, poetic evenings, fireworks and car and motorbike races. “We have also included training programs for young men and women,” the mayor said in his address. Outside the tents, families had brought in food from home and were making the most of the festivities.
“We were looking forward to this,” said a jubilating Ahmed Al-Mutairi. His seven-year-old son and three-year-old daughter were screaming with joy every time a firework went up in the skies. “This is amazing,” the children said in unison. Al-Mutairi was delighted too. “The most important aspect of this year’s festivities is that the weather is moderate. I remember it was very bad during the inauguration last year,” he said.
Also enjoying the festivities were expat families. “We invited our brother and his family from Riyadh to enjoy the festival here,” said Hussam Ansari, a Pakistani businessman. “We did not know about the festival’s launch and the fireworks. We just came here to take them around the Dammam Corniche. But this was like the icing on the cake.”
The festivities will go on for a month and a variety of activities have been lined up at different places in Dammam and Alkhobar.