Left: Dina Al-Nahdi with Minister of Education Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Bin Muhammad Al-Saud, Right: Prominent government officials and members of the royal family also put their handprints on the painting. — Courtesy photos Amal Al-Sibai Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — The countdown has begun. On the evening of the 83rd National Day, Saudis will present their gift, largest handprint painting, of love and loyalty to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah at the Red Sea Mall at 9:00 p.m. In the presence of an expected attendance of over 80,000 patriots, who have great fervor and pride for their country, Prince Muqrin Bin AbdulAziz, the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor and Special Envoy for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, will receive the gift on behalf of the beloved King Abdullah. To commemorate the event, an official judge will announce the entry of Saudi Arabia into the new Guinness Book of World Records for the largest handprint painting by far. Saudi Arabia will break Kuwait's record of last year of their national flag's handprint painting, which was 6,470 square meters in size. This year the painting with handprints of passionate Saudis has covered an area of 10,000 square meters. A documentary will also be played tonight on how the idea was conceptualized and executed before reaching the reaching the record breaking number of 1,200,000 handprints. From general public to government officials, from prominent community figures to royals, from businessmen and women to school going children, Saudis have have come out in unprecedented numbers to contribute to this historic painting. A number of private and public schools for both boys and girls organized class field trips to the site of the painting where students excitedly dipped their little hands in green, yellow, brown, and blue paint to stamp their hands on the white background. Centers for the care of orphans and for children with special needs and government employees from the Civil Defense played an important role in contributing to the painting. Sharing in the drawing of this painting gave many Saudis a sense of belonging and attachment to their country. Volunteers were available around the clock to assist visitors in leaving their handprints, ensure orderliness and neatness amidst the crowds, and to educate everyone who attended on the importance of caring for the environment. What is unique about the painting, in addition to the idea, the enormous size, and the astounding number of participants is that the paint used is environmentally friendly and does not contain toxins harmful to human health or the environment. The material that served as the canvas of this painting is 100 percent white, natural cotton and the handprints are artistically aligned and meshed to produce a geographic map of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is a gift that symbolizes art, beauty, love, and also the people's responsibility toward protecting the environment. The four Saudi artists who supervised the crafting of this ingenious endeavor to end up with an exquisite painting were Nabeel Taher, Ahmad Al-Najar, Taghrid Waznah, and Ashwaq Dali. Dina Al-Nahdi is the woman behind this idea and she initiated the whole project and set it into motion in the first place. Al-Nahdi is also the founder of Entec, a company dedicated to improving the environment and finding healthy solutions for industries whether it is for the materials used or waste disposal methods which aim to reduce environmental damage in the Kingdom. Al-Nahdi said: "My father, may Allah have mercy upon him, was the one who first inspired me to become involved in environmental awareness. "He had an intense passion for nature and preserving the environment and I think I caught that passion from him. "My mother taught me the importance of community service and charity work. "Trying to please my parents and follow their example has led me to where I stand now." The long and impressive list of Al-Nahdi's community work includes organizing environmental awareness campaigns, supporting productive families who believe in hard work to earn an income, encouraging volunteer work among the youth, and educating companies and industries about sustainable development. Her most recent milestone was leading this campaign to break the world record in making the largest painting in the world and sending a message of Saudi people's love and admiration to King Abdullah. "The painting was made possible and it met with such success because of the collaboration of amazing volunteers from all segments of society and also the tremendous help and support from the media, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Affairs, and Prince Muqrin Bin AbdulAziz," said Al-Nahdi.
