Mahd Al-Uloom International School-Jeddah (MISJ) held an arts festival recently to the delight of students and teachers.

There were various activities including Saudi folk fusion, performances with the duff, music with kitchen instruments, ethnic dress display, cultural medley, quiz contest, martial arts demonstration, elocution contest and poetry recitation.

The program began with recitation from the Holy Qur’an. The chief guests of the day were Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, manager of the school, and Ashraf Meleveettil, a motivational speaker.

Mansoor Ali, the school’s academic coordinator, welcomed the gathering and said that arts were an important part of education.

Al-Ghamdi presided over the function. He congratulated the students and staff for creating another milestone in the history of the school. Yahya Khaleel Noorani, operations manager of the school, delivered the keynote address. He said education should be about “the head and the heart.”

Abdurrabb Chemmad, a member of the school’s board, inaugurated the event and also emphasized the importance of arts and culture.

The auditorium turned into a kaleidoscope of colors as the cultural shows and other performances got under way. There were scintillating performances of Saudi folk fusion and the duff that delighted audience members, who applauded during every scene.

The children presented a display of world culture and heritage in a program called “Ethnic Dressing.”