Following the success of the first Saudi-American cultural festival in Abha in 2007, the US Consulate General in Jeddah will host a second festival in Taif starting Wednesday. With the support of Governor of Makkah region Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, the American-Saudi Arabian Culture and Commerce Festival seeks to develop and strengthen the cultural and commercial relations between the Kingdom and the US, said a statement issued by the consulate and carried today by Arab News. It said the festival is being organized in partnership with the Taif governorate, the Taif Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities. An exhibition will take place at the Intercontinental Hotel in Taif from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, the statement said, adding that the exhibition is open to the public and admission is free of charge. The festival will also include workshops and meetings between Saudi businessmen and women and their American counterparts, US visa information sessions, seminars for students intending to study in the US, and art, cultural and commercial exhibits.
