Tourism & Hospitality | Thursday 4 February, 2016 7:26 am |

Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, attended the official launch of the 30th Janadriyah festival, the Saudi National Festival for Heritage and Culture. The festival, which was inaugurated by His Majesty the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, is organized by the Ministry of National Guard.

 

His Highness Sheikh Saif expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to the UAE delegation currently visiting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He praised the festival, as a valuable and important cultural event, which achieved significant success in its previous editions, and contributed to further instill the Islamic identity and common Arab heritage. He then wished the best of luck and success for this year’s edition of the festival. 

 

Sheikh Saif enjoyed the different activities of the festival's inauguration ceremony, which was attended, in addition to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain; H.H Sheikh Jassem bin Hamad Al Thani, Personal Representative of the HH the Emir of Qatar; His Excellency His Excellency Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah, Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs of the State of Kuwait; and Saad bin Mohammed Al-Saadi, Minister of Sports Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman; along with a large number of senior officials from the GCC Countries, the region and the world. 

 

Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan also attended the 41st Annual Grand Camel Race that was organized as part of the Festival. HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed awarded the top two winners with an award bearing the name of late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, which is presented annually by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE to winners.

 

HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed arrived in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Wednesday afternoon and was received by Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdul Aziz, Governor of Riyadh; H.E Muhammad Saeed Al Dhaheri, UAE Ambassador to Saudi Arabia; and a number of officials. The delegation accompanying HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed includes Major General Dr. Nasser Lakhrebani Al Nuaimi, Secretary General of the Office of HH Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior; Major General, Nasser bin Al Awadhi Al Menhali, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Resources and Support Services; Brigadier Juma Ahmad Hamel Al Qubaisi; and a number of senior officers.

 

It is worth mentioning that Al Janadriyah Festival is a celebration of the culture, heritage and history of Saudi Arabia has been held annually since 1985. The first ever Janadriyah was launched in March 24, 1985 following a Royal Directive issued by HRH the late King Fahad bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud. The festival, which takes place between February and March, is organized by the Saudi Ministry of National Guard. It attracts many visitors from Saudi Arabia and abroad.

 

The Festival aims to reflect the deep-rooted heritage and culture of the GCC people, and celebrates their historical folklore and civilized gains. It also serves as a platform to interact with the thoughts and cultures with a shared vision on humanity in order to spread peace and harmony on Earth. The Festival also sheds the light on valuable intellectual contributions that have significantly contributed to the cultural scene, and reinforced the human capability for giving, excellence, and innovation.

 

As a part of its goals, the festival also strives to encourage the discovery of folklore and to develop the wording and employment in successful literary and artistic work It also aims to encourage attention to heritage, through extensive study, in order to benefit from the positive values of the cultural heritage, acquaint others with the popular folklore and reflect a vivid image of the glorious past, in all of its cultural and artistic aspects.