RIYADH — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman is set to launch 30th Al-Janadriyah Festival on Wednesday. A source from the festival's organizing committee said Prince Miteb Bin Abdullah, minister of the National Guard and head of the festival's higher committee, has expressed his gratitude to the King for sponsoring the festival in its entirety. "The festival is one of the important cultural celebrations in the Kingdom. Al-Janadriyah is an annual festival celebrating the heritage of the people of Najd and the people of Saudi Arabia. The festival has a high significance in the Arab world," said the source. The source also said Germany will be the cultural guest at the festival. The German Ambassador in Saudi Arabia Boris Ruge said Germany is honored to be chosen as the keynote cultural guest at the festival. He said that the festival proves that the two countries have strong relations and Germany has always held the motto of "Germany, the land of ideas ... The traditions of innovations." There will also be a camel race in the afternoon and it will last for four days. "The race will include 1,200 contestants. The contestants are from all over the Arab world competing in six tracks. There are prizes including cars, SR500,000 and SR1 million for the winners. The cultural program will start on Thursday and it includes poetry night and seminars on various topics of the Saudi heritage," said the source. He added that the festival has an exhibition showcasing the role of 30 public directorates. "There is also a traditional souq which includes 300 traditional craft works rendered by 250 craftsmen. The craft works sample the traditions of various areas in the Kingdom. The Kingdom is a diverse facet of cultures and traditions that are all displayed in a colorful portrayal at the festival," said the source.
