Saudi Gazette Over 10 days, tens of thousands came to Yanbu in droves to see its Industrial City all abloom. Millions of flowers lined thorough fares and squares of this western port city which is approximately 350 kilometers north of Jeddah, drawing oohs and aahs from first-time and frequent visitors alike. It was Yanbu's 6th Flower & Garden Festival, back with a bang after a yearslong hiatus. The festival began in earnest early last decade and has since become an annual event, until it was halted five years ago. It became bigger and better for its 2012 comeback, with five million mostly homegrown flowers embellishing Yanbu's curbs and pathways, turning the city into one big, colorful garden. The event's main attraction was the flower carpet, a 7000-meter-long bed of flowers forming a kaleidoscopic pattern with diamonds and circles. Getting close to the carpet proved to be a sensory experience for many visitors, not just in colors but also in fragrance that no floral perfume could match. The Royal Commission Yanbu, which organized the event, has its own nursery of flowers for festivals of this kind, according to landscape architect Wael Bakhidher. Preparations, like seed propagation, usually begin as early as May the previous year. The flowers were picked and planted between early December and January in time for the start of the festival at the end of February. Eng. Saleh Al-Zahrani, Director for Landscaping and Irrigation Department, said the secret to this festival's success was Dr. Ala Nasif, president of the commission in Yanbu, who believed in the young management to make this year's festival happen. “He gave us a challenge and I hope we will be able to prove ourselves,” Al-Zahrani said. The end result was, quite simply, a marvel after all, how often does one see flowers in such abundance and arrangements in an arid and dry land? Al-Zahrani said the commission envisions the festival to be a benchmark for other flower festivals in Saudi Arabia, and eventually in the rest of the Middle East in the next few years. Its first day alone drew a crowd of 15,000 from all over the Kingdom, according to Al-Zahrani. Every day thereafter the number of visitors swelled, and by the end of the festival, it was expected to have attracted well over 500,000 visitors in all. With both commercial and environmental aims, this year's festival was sponsored by 55 local and international companies specializing in floristry, gardening, landscaping, irrigation, and marketing of flowers. Around 120 tents in the festival grounds showcased a range of flowers; plants; gardening, irrigation and landscaping implements, tools and supplies; even gazebos and other backyard equipment. From Feb. 28 until March 9, the festival featured many cultural, educational, religious and entertainment activities for visitors of all ages. It also had sports and games as well as special events for women and children. Weekend travelers who made the three-hour drive from Jeddah felt it was well worth the trip. “My friends and I have been to Yanbu before but it was our first time to see the festival, which reminded me of home because of the Philippines' own Panagbenga flower festival every February,” said Arthur Turtor, a Filipino accountant. __
