The Madinah Municipality will launch a festival to promote walking in partnership with Taibah University to raise awareness about the importance of walking and its role in maintaining health, as well as to introduce community members to the new walkways established in Madinah.

The municipality will also launch a social initiative related to the activity.

The festival will be launched at King Fahd Central Park under the aegis of Khaled Taher, Madinah secretary-general, in the presence of several officials and participants.

Taher said the new walkways form part of the city’s public utility projects.

“The walking festival is one of our major initiatives,” he said. “The municipality has established administrative units for each walkway under the social services directorate.”

Salamah Al-Lahibi, undersecretary for services, said the festival would launch a series of activities related to walking on Thursday. The events will last for three days and will include daily presentations, awareness corners and entertainment.

Mohammed Al-Mirdif, director-general of social services at the municipality and general supervisor of the festival, invited community members to attend and participate in the activities.

Prizes and gifts will be awarded by festival management, he said.

He also invited community members to attend the live broadcasting of the inauguration of King Abdullah Sports City and the Al-Jawharah Stadium on Thursday, also at the King Fahd Central Park.

The municipality has put up a giant screen for families to witness the event.

Festival activities, which will run after dusk until midnight, will be held at three locations, including the Al-Abbas bin Abbadah walkway, King Fahd walkway and the Ali bin Abi Talib walkway.