Wide range of activities planned JEDDAH – Patronized by Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region, the 31st Jeddah Summer Festival will open on July 7 with an elaborate ceremony of fireworks, traditional dances and patriotic songs. The five-week festival, which will end on Aug. 11, will give a big boost to domestic tourism, as according to the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), 3.4 million people visited Jeddah during the summer of 2009, adding an estimated SR11.9 billion to the local economy, a three percent increase over 2008. Festival events, under the supervision of the SCTA and the Tourism Council, Jeddah, will be divided into three categories – sports, cultural and entertainment, according to Ghasaan Al-Bakri, director general of SCTA programs and tourism. These programs will be held in different malls and other easily accessible locations in the city. “The Jeddah Summer Festival is the most popular and the largest summer festival in the Kingdom with an array of cultural, social and sports activities,” Al-Bakri said. “This year there will be 60 activities at different sites in Jeddah which will contribute to the development of tourism, an important source of income for the Kingdom which also creates job opportunities for Saudi youth.” He also said that Jeddah as the gateway to the Two Holy Mosques is a major city, and the summer festival plays an important role in acquainting visitors from overseas with Saudi culture and provides those from around the Kingdom with the opportunity to spend their summer vacation, Ramadan and Eid in comfortable surroundings with a wide range of facilities and activities to choose from. “Through this festival, we will highlight Saudi culture, civilization and traditions with events held in different locations all over the city. Jeddah is a commercial center and a main port and has a wide range of available facilities,”Al-Bakri said. This year the festival will have a number of activities. After the grand opening, there will be folk dance and cultural programs and competitions with prizes and gifts being given to the public. Displays of fireworks will be held throughout the festival at different locations in the city especially on the south and north beaches. A gold festival will be held exhibiting the latest designs of gold jewelry and giving visitors a chance to win gold coins. MBC will organize programs throughout the festival at different shopping malls and commercial centers and will give awards and gifts to participants and invite the public to participate in MBC 3 and MBC-FM programs. Concerts will be held during the festival featuring performances by well-known Arab singers. There will also be social and cultural plays for children and adults with the participation of actors from Arab countries, and a circus will provide entertainment for all of the family. Special programs will be arranged for children, orphans and people with special needs. The summer festival will also feature health fairs, educational programs, and entertainment and awareness events, along with programs on popular and international cuisine, art exhibitions, lectures, seminars, literary and poetry programs and youth training courses.
