RIYADH: The Saudi Tourism pavilion at the ongoing Sabah Al-Ahmed Heritage Village Festival in Kuwait is witnessing a huge turnout by visitors including a rush of VIPs expressing their admiration of the Kingdom’s persistent efforts to preserve its rich heritage and its integration into modernity.

The Sabah Al-Ahmed Heritage Village Festival, which is named after the Kuwaiti Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, opened last month to celebrate Gulf heritage and will continue until March 2016.

“Our pavilion at the Sabah Al-Ahmed festival is witnessing a heavy turnout by visitors including Kuwaiti families, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) citizens and Arabs, and heritage concerned VIPs,” a spokesman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH) here said on Friday.

“Visitors are touring various sections of the pavilion as each section represents a different feature of the Kingdom’s provinces by displaying their handicrafts and handmade products that are famous in the Kingdom,” the official added.

Significantly, after touring the Saudi pavilion, the several visitors commended the exhibits which highlight the cultural depth and distinguished popular heritage of the Kingdom. Applauding the Kingdom’s exhibition, Mohammad bin Daifallah Sharar, adviser of the emirate’s diwan in Kuwait, expressed his pleasure and honor to the Saudi staff on the outstanding participation in the festival for the second year in a row, which displays Kingdom’s deep-rooted history and heritage.

He further noted that featuring six separate pavilions of the GCC countries in the heritage village is the embodiment of the meaning of solidarity, brotherhood that unites GCC people together.

Kuwaiti businesswoman Nawal Al-Rabia commented that “the Saudi pavilion is evidence of its deep-rooted history and culture, constituting an outstanding event not only for the Saudi people but also for all GCC nationals, because it features a large number of historical masterpieces reflecting the authenticity and importance of Saudi history.”

The Kingdom is participating in the Kuwaiti heritage festival with a large pavilion, where a number of handicrafts are displayed, in addition to a number of exhibits representing popular local heritage.

Moreover, it is also showcasing Saudi historic sites in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List that include famous archaeological sites Madain Saleh registered in 2008; Turaif Quarter in Al-Daryia Historic Area in 2010; Historic Jeddah in 2014; and the Hail Rock Arts in 2015.

Sabah Al-Ahmad Heritage Village embodies the copious, genuine and rich heritage and culture of Kuwait and the Gulf region.