The cultural exhibition for the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) member states at the OIC pavilion as part of the ‘Jeddah Ghair' festival in the city is drawing huge crowds, especially from among the expatriates in the Kingdom. “Expatriates from various countries who live in the Kingdom are attending the event along with Saudi nationals. This is a great opportunity to develop relations with each other,” said Maha Mustafa Akeel, managing editor of the OIC Journal. Over three million people, expatriates, (including non-Muslim expats) and Saudis, from across the Kingdom are expected to attend the event. Saudi Gazette spoke to some of them who were at the exhibition. They said they were happy to explore the culture and tradition of the various Muslim countries. “Muslim tradition and history is very interesting. This is a great opportunity for all expats who want to learn the Muslim culture. I am collecting various books and articles on Muslim literature and culture, which I believe will educate me on the same,” said Katherine, a British national who was seen browsing a stall at the exhibition. Stalls showcased samples of traditional and folklore artifacts, textile items, crafts, artworks as well as photographs, books, and publications featuring cultures and civilizations across the Muslim world. Ambassador Abdullah Alem, Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs at the OIC, inaugurated the exhibition. The opening ceremony was attended by Dr. Abu Bakr Bakader, Undersecretary of Saudi Culture and Information Ministry for International Cultural Relations; Engineer Khaled Aqeel, the deputy mayor of Jeddah, along with several members of the diplomatic corps and high-ranking officials representing Jeddah Municipality. “This exhibition marks the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the OIC. The nine participating countries are all OIC member countries and we are expecting more countries to participate as the exhibition runs for a month,” said Akeel. The event will end on August 14. Participating countries include: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Turkey, Palestine, Qatar, and Yemen. “We are very pleased to join the event. There were so many traditional and historical items that we wanted to display but because of space limitations we could not do so,” said Abul Basher Jassem, representative of the Ministry of Culture and Information, Bahrain. He said that daily “thousands of expats and Saudis visit his stall and they are keen to learn about the culture and traditions of our country”. Kaisarul Islam, Bangladeshi labor consul and coordinator at the Bangladesh stall, thanked the OIC for “organizing the exhibition that has given us a chance to display our Muslim culture and tradition.” “The exhibition spreads awareness about the cultures of the various OIC member countries and, at large, the Islamic world,” he said.
