Janadriya Gives Better Idea of Saudi Heritage, Say Foreign Visitors
Naif Al-Shehri, Arab News

RIYADH, 19 February 2007 � For the past 21 years, the government has sponsored the annual Janadriya Festival, a two-week cultural event featuring regional artists, food, costumes, architecture and wedding rituals as well as traditional music and dance. The festival, normally held in cool weather, takes place about 45 km north of Riyadh at a large center built specifically for the event.

Janadriya village is laid out as a miniature Kingdom within the Kingdom. For example, visitors walk in an area representing the country�s west coast � the Hejaz � and see folk life and exhibits from that area. One can then move to other areas and see things typical of each.

The festival attracts thousands of Saudis and GCC residents and in the last few years, foreign dignitaries, artists and reporters have come and publicized what they have seen and learned. Arab News talked to several prominent residents and ordinary non-Saudi visitors.

�This was the first time I had visited the festival and I saw quite a number of things from Saudi Arabia�s rich cultural heritage,� said Fernando de Brito, the Portuguese charge d�affaires.

Asked about such festivities in Lisbon, he said: �We don�t have these annual events in Lisbon but I wish the Saudi Embassy there would sponsor one so that more people could become acquainted with the Kingdom�s fascinating and diverse heritage.�

French Ambassador Charles Henri d�Aragon visited the pavilion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday as well as several others. At the completion of his visit, he noted the importance of hosting such event that enlighten the Saudis and foreigners about the Kingdom�s heritage. He supported the idea of organizing joint heritage festivals in both countries so that the public could become better informed. 

Outgoing British Ambassador Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles also visited the festival. After visiting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pavilion, he recalled the beautiful peaceful days he and his family had spent in the Kingdom. He spoke about the strong bonds between the two countries and how they had grown and prospered.

�Saudis know quite a lot about the United Kingdom and its people, but unfortunately, British information on Saudi Arabia is still very limited. We work with our counterparts in the Kingdom to increase bilateral cooperation in the fields of culture, heritage and science by granting scholarships to students from both nations in order to consolidate bonds between them and to wipe out misconceptions,� the ambassador said.

�The most fun I had at the festival was riding the camel and learning about its extraordinary abilities and characteristics,� said German TV producer Peter Schroeder.

A French painter said: �The festival�s wide range of activities was an inspiration. I got a lot of ideas and in fact, started working on two new paintings of Saudi Arabia�s beautiful landmarks � the Najdi mud house and the black Bedouin tent.�

Source: Arab News

Reprinted with permission