The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is set to patronize the opening ceremony of the National Festival for Heritage and Culture, organized by the Ministry of National Guard in the village of Al-Janadriya, on the northern outskirts of capital, Riyadh, and grand camel race on Wednesday February 03, 2016. This was announced by Deputy Minister of National Guard Abdulmohsen bin Abdulaziz Al-Tuwaijri, who is also Deputy Chairman of the festival's higher committee at a press conference he held on behalf of Prince Miteb bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Minister of National Guard and Chairman of the higher committee of the festival, in the attendance of Germany's representative Michael Omacht, Deputy Chief of Germany's diplomatic mission in Riyadh. Al-Tuwaijri cast light on the main programs and activities of the festival and confirmed that the King's patronage of the event is yet another evidence of his interest in the importance of knowledge and culture in the building of nations and proceeding with the country's march to consolidate the effective leading role of the Kingdom in the Arab and Islamic worlds. He welcomed the German delegation as the Federal Republic of Germany is the festival's state guest of this year. He paid tribute to late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the initiator of the festival and long-lived supervisor of the event which he incepted in 1981. He also announced that Abuabdulrahman bin Aqeel Al-Dhahiri, will be honored as this year's cultural personality and will be awarded King Abdulaziz class I medal in recognition to his cultural, intellectual and literal contributions to enrich the cultural and scientific literature in the Kingdom. For his part, the German Deputy Chief of mission cast light on the contents of his country's pavilion.
