Along with Saudi students at Curtin University of Technology in Perth, west of Australia, more than 300 international students celebrated the Saudi National Day over the weekend. The National Day celebration included the Arabic hospitality section where traditional cardamom-flavored coffee and popular food were served to the guests who experienced a little slice from the Kingdom at distance. The guests were also invited to take complimentary photos wearing the Saudi national dress: thob and red-checked headwear shumag for men and Abaya and Hijab (or headscarf) for women. The women's section in the festival featured orientation lectures on women's issues in the Kingdom to clear away any misunderstanding about women in terms of employment and other related issues. Visiting women were also invited to experience a little fashionable reddish-brown henna body decoration with artistic designs on the hand. A collection of photographs and films featuring the past and current developments in the Kingdom was displayed. The guests watched two video documentaries on oil and tourism in the Kingdom produced by Saudi Aramco. On the heels of the festival celebration, the guests joined Saudi students in live performance of a number of Saudi folkloric dances. The day ended with complimentary books on the true image of Saudi Arabia distributed to the international friends of the Kingdom. The event was sponsored by the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission in Saudi Embassy in Australia and Saudi Aramco. __
