Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman patronized on Thursday the opening ceremony of the National Festival for Heritage and Culture “Al-Janadriah 33”, which is organized by the Ministry of National Guard under the theme of “Allegiance and Loyalty.”
The ceremony was attended by senior officials from the GCC countries and Indonesia – this year’s guest of honor - and a large crowd of writers, thinkers and influential figures from around the world.
Several distinguished guests were also present, including: Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Personal Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the UAE, and Shehab Bin Tariq Al Said, Advisor to the Sultan of Oman.
Minister of National Guard Prince Khaled bin Abdulaziz bin Ayaf, who is also President of Supreme Committee of Janadriah Festival, delivered a speech in which he welcomed the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the festival’s guests.
The minister stressed the festival “transcends the limits of time through its comprehensive activities for the present and the future, and surpasses the boundaries of the place, through its regional and global cultural topics, featuring the greatest intellectuals and thinkers from around the world.”
It is noteworthy that the National Festival of Heritage and Culture in Saudi Arabia is a deep indication of the attention paid by the Saudi leadership to the Arab and Islamic heritage, culture, traditions and values, and a national occasion that blends together the rooted history of the Arab-Islamic identity with the modern trends witnessed in the Kingdom.
The festival highlights, through its annual activities, Saudi Arabia’s diversity and richness in cultural heritage. It also includes the annual camel race, which has gained popularity over the years among the fans of this sport at the local and regional levels.
