in-the-mouth Kleja biscuits are means of livelihood for many women, widows, and families in Al-Qassim. It was the favorite and fast selling snack sold at the annual Kleja Food Festival. The Kleja biscuit is a part of the ethnic and traditional Saudi cuisine, and is an old tradition that has lived on for generations. Morevoer, the Kleja biscuits represent the old practices of business in the past. The transaction of buying and selling used to be a pleasant process in which businessmen would not only trade commodities for money, but they would communicate with their customers, learn about different cultures, and even develop a personal fondness for the people. They would also help people in need on the course of their travels. Nowadays, business transactions have been stripped of any emotions and have become transformed into a ruthless and competitive race for profit. However, the Kleja Food Festival is rekindling this softer and older spirit of conducting business and bringing it back to life in Al-Qassim. Visitors to the festival can feel the warmth of family members working hard to support one another, cross cultural communication between Saudis and expats, and the welcoming attitude of the elderly women selling their products. An elderly woman selling kleja biscuits and other traditional Saudi foods invited a young boy to her stall and said, “Taste these biscuits my son, I made them with my own hands.” The Saudi mother offers samples of her delicious foods regardless of whether the visitors will make a purchase or not, and she beams with pride every time someone praises her cooking. She takes the time to chat with her customers and ask about their health and families. These hardworking Saudi women are exhibiting the noble characteristics of generosity, kindness, and respect that they inherited from their forefathers. After all, a business transaction is still a form of human communication and should not lose its humanitarian essence entirely. __
