King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, will patronize the opening ceremony of the 24th Janadriya Culture and Heritage Festival here Wednesday. For the first time in the history of the Janadriya Festival, families will be allowed to visit the cultural and heritage event organized annually by the National Guard. Dr.Abdulrahman Bin Subait Al-Subait, Undersecretary, National Guard and Executive Committee Chairman of the festival, said this year's theme will be “The Cause of Islam and Dialogue of Cultures.” At a press conference in Riyadh Sunday, he said that the presentation of this theme emphasizes the interest and attention paid to the issue of dialogue by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of King Abdullah. The Janadriya Festival will commence with a spectacular camel race. Russia will participate as guest of honor this year. Prince General Miteb Bin Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, Assistant Vice President, National Guard for Military Affairs and Vice President of the Festival's Supreme Committee welcomed the participation of the Russian Federation as a guest of honor. Announcing the event, Prince Miteb said Russia's participation in the Janadriya Festival will mark the introduction of cultures and heritages of friendly countries and serve as an extension of the cultural tradition of the festival. “Russia's participation will be an addition to the National Festival that represents cultures and heritages of friendly countries,” Prince Miteb said. Turkey was the guest of honor at last year's Janadriya Festival. Prince Miteb said the National Janadriya Festival is forging ahead, with the blessings of Allah Almighty and the support and attention given by King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan. The Janadriya Festival is advancing the cause of culture and heritage while promoting creative activities in the Kingdom and the Arab world, he said. The Janadriya Village, some 43 km north of Riyadh that houses the replicas of almost all regions in Saudi Arabia, turns into a place of hectic cultural and heritage activities every year. A number of regions have announced cultural programs at the Janadriya Festival. Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Majed Bin Abdul Aziz, Emir of Madina Region, directed the regional supervisory committee to participate in this year's Janadriya Festival by organizing a number of activities including art and culture, drama, shows, social presentation and various historical and heritage exhibitions. Madina's Pavilion at Janadriya Village should be distinguished as has been in previous festivals, he said. The Eastern Province Governorate announced its participation in the festival with a number of activities. Faisal Bin Muhammad Al-Qwo, Supervisor General, Public Relations and Protocols, said the Eastern Province will participate with over 47 handicraft displays in addition to falconry and horse shows and folk dances. The activities will also include two plays by adult actors. A cafeteria with regional food will also feature in the festival. Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS), which has a pavilion at the Janadriya Village will display over 450 publications of the university that include subjects aimed at disseminating security awareness and culture among the visitors of the festival. Khalid Bin Abdulaziz Al-Harfash, the University's Director of Public Relations and Information Department, said the university will participate in three important cultural events including culture and heritage on Wednesday; 3rd Regional Arab Conference on Sunday and Riyadh International Book Fair on Tuesday. The Ministry of Labor is to highlight the comprehensive training program it has developed for the country's youths and display job vacancies for Saudis offered by some national companies. Other programs include a Qur'an memorization contest for Saudi students including girls, the Aradha sword dance, art and painting shows by Saudi painters, a book show with the leading publishing houses and a traditional souq that showcases handicrafts and traditions from different parts of the Kingdom. The festival attracts hundreds of thousands of Saudis, GCC citizens and a large number of foreign residents in the Kingdom. Many foreigners also visit the Janadriya Village to get a first-hand experience of Saudi culture and heritage. The festival is open to the public from 4 P.M. to 8 P.M and on Thursday between 9 A.M. to 12 noon for a period of two weeks.
