The Asir Village at the annual Janadriya National Festival of Heritage and Culture has been given a whole new look for the 2009 event. Representation from the region of Asir is the largest of the festival, with 400 people working on the expanded traditional market and the main village square, as well as setting up a new theater to stage traditional shows and performances. The Asir Palace has been renovated and now contains an area offering traditional food from the region. The village has also been furnished with reception and VIP halls, and several houses of Asiri heritage have been given a face-lift, while space has been found for 18 craftsmen to exhibit their work. The whole village area is now surrounded by a 400m wall. This year the Asir village is hosting its first auction of antiques and rare coins, supervised by specialists from the King Fahd Cultural Center (Al-Miftaha) in Abha. Poets from the region will give daily performances.
