The Janadriyah festival is offering visitors a variety of Arabic coffee that will please the taste buds and overwhelm the senses. There is a choice of Bahraini, Emirati, Kuwaiti and Omani coffee at the different pavilions near the gate and when you get inside the venue you can indulge yourself in local brews such as the Riyadh, Qassimi, Jazani, Dammami and Jeddawi coffee. The handlers bring the taste from all corners of Saudi Arabia. They offer their services and it is a great opportunity for them to show off their skill at making some of the finest Arabic coffee in this part of the Gulf.

Janadriyah has been organized differently this year and is being visited by a record number of visitors. About 120,000 visitors came to the festival on the first day alone. Besides, several ambassadors to Riyadh from various countries are also enjoying the festivities.

The Emirates pavilion has been attracting large crowds who gather to watch the folk dances and songs performed by a number of famous bands and singers in the country. The Emirates is also the festival’s guest of honor this year.

There were visible signs of Bahraini and Kuwaiti heritage in the form of pottery industries, food, drinks and their hearty welcome to the visitors.

The pavilion of the General Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs is providing visitors information about the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. “The pavilion which is set up for the second consecutive year has been drawing a good number of visitors who are keen to know about the Two Holy Mosques,” Ahmed Al-Mansuri, director of public relations in the General Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs told Arab News.

The pavilion features the embroidery of the Kiswa, the black embroidered cloth that covers the Holy Kaaba, and the stages of expansion of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque ordered by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.

This year’s pavilion also has a library displaying some important and ancient manuscripts including a copy of the Holy Qur’an of the Ottoman era. There is a photo exhibition that depicts the rapid urban development that took place around the Two Holy Mosques.

Visitors to the pavilion are being provided with pamphlets and Zam Zam water.

Several Eastern Province businessmen have set up a stall for the Saudi "food bank" at the festival.

The initiative, called Feed, aims to ensure that food not eaten by citizens and expatriates can be saved for the poor. The organization is styled on food banks in other countries.

Eastern Province Gov. Prince Saud bin Naif, visited the Feed stall and praised the efforts of the businesspeople and young volunteers.

Amer Al-Barjas, the executive director of Feed, told the prince that the project only collects quality food for distribution. He said the project is also raising awareness about its initiatives among children with illustrated booklets.

Arab News reported this week that Saudi Arabia has been ranked by the Rome-based Food and Agricultural Organization as the worst food waster in the Gulf Cooperation Council region. It contributes 17 million tons out of 26 million tons generated every year by over 40 million people in the Gulf.

Feed is a non-profit organization registered with the Ministry of Social Affairs and can be found on www.saudifoodbank.com.

— Khalid Tawalbeh,

Irfan Mohammed & Fouzia Khan contributed to this report.