March 4, 2005

PRINCE ABDULLAH IBN ABDUL AZIZ LAUNCHES THE ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL FESTIVAL FOR HERITAGE AND CULTURE IN AL-JANADRIYAH. PRINCE ABDULLAH CALLES UPON MUSLIM SCHOLARS AND INTELLECTUALS TO PLAY THEIR ROLE IN STRENGTHENING ARAB AND ISLAMIC UNITY. THE KINGDOM REMAINS STRONG AND VICTORIOUS BY THE GRACE OF GOD AND AS A RESULT OF THE UNITY AND COHESION OF ITS PEOPLE. On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, patronized the inaugural ceremony of Janadriyah 20th National Festival for Heritage and Culture annually organized by the National Guard. Upon arrival at the venue, the Crown Prince was received by Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Riyadh Region; Prince Sattam Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Vice Governor of Riyadh Region; Prince General Miteb Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Deputy Commander of the National Guard for Military Affairs; and other officials of the National Guard. A spectacular camel race and an enchanting opera presented by well-known Saudi singers and folklore troops marked the opening of the annual Janadriyah Heritage and Culture Festival yesterday. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz declared the festivities open at a colorful ceremony attended by foreign dignitaries including Bahrain's Crown Prince Sheikh Salman Ibn Hamad and Sheikh Saeed Ibn Zayed of the United Arab Emirates. The weeklong festival, showcasing Saudi Arabia's culture and traditions and highlighting its solid Islamic principles, includes a number of cultural programs and a Quran and Sunnah contest named after Prince Abdullah. The camel race was one of the main events on the first day. After the first round, Prince Abdullah distributed prizes to the first five winners. The first three winners received special gifts sent by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Ibn Zayed Al-Nahayan. The Camel "Al-Sanafi" of Aziz Ibn Hamed Al-Qurashi finished first in the race while "La-Lil-Erhab or No to Terrorism" of Prince Abdul Majeed won the second prize. Mozhan, also belonging to Qurashi, "Manha" of Shaaf Al-Dossari, and "Muhajem" of Fahd Al-Subaie finished third, fourth and fifth. In his welcome address, Prince Miteb Ibn Abdullah, Assistant Deputy Commander of the National Guard for military affairs, urged all Saudis to stand united in the fight against terrorism. "We'll all stand in one rank and with a single mind against the terrorists who want to undermine our country's security and stability," the Saudi Press Agency quoted him as saying. Prince Miteb commended Saudis for providing a strong backing to the security forces that have been instrumental in tracking down terrorists. In his speech, Prince General Miteb Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, who is also Deputy Chairman of the Higher Committee organizing the Festival thanked the Crown Prince for gracing all Janadriyah festivals and he reviewed the achievements of the festivals in twenty years. The opening ceremony also witnessed the honoring by the Crown Prince of Saudi poet Abdullah Ibn Ali Al-Jeshi and the late Saudi businessman Sheikh Ismail Abu Dawood as both were awarded the King Abdul Aziz medals of the first order. Prince Miteb, who received the posthumous award for Sheikh Abu Dawood, will present it to the late businessman's sons later. Prince Miteb said the Janadriyah festival had hosted more than 125 seminars in addition to 45 lectures on regional and international topics and 40 poetic sessions over the past years. Janadriyah, which is located about 45 kilometers north of Riyadh, has become a village of Saudi heritage, he said. "Many institutions representing the Kingdom's heritage and culture have been established here. There are popular souks displaying handicrafts and traditional products from different regions," he said. Prince Miteb, who is deputy chairman of the Supreme Organizing Committee, also underscored the festival's efforts in promoting women's cultural and intellectual activities. "We have invited a large number of internationally-known political, cultural and intellectual personalities," he said, adding that the number of foreign participants had reached 3,000. Abdul Rahman Suwar Al-Dahab, former Sudanese president, who spoke on behalf of foreign guests, said Janadriyah has become one of the major annual cultural events in the Arab world. "Knowledge and Development" is the title of the festival's seminar, which will be attended by 50 scholars and intellectuals from within and outside the Kingdom. Later the Crown graced a dinner party. Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received at his palace in Riyadh the guests of the Janadriyah 20th festival for heritage and culture. They included Ulema, literates, intellectuals, thinkers, media representatives, journalists from inside and outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Addressing the gathering, Crown Prince Abdullah thanked them for attending the festival and told them not to hesitate to criticize whatever they noted in the festival, if any. He called for the unity of Arab and Muslim nations. Arab nation accommodates Muslim and Christian nationals, he said. He added that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has won the fight against accusations and criticism coming from outside, thanks to the unity of its people. Then the guests had lunch with the Crown Prince. The reception and the banquet were attended by Prince Abdul-Ilah Ibn Abdul Aziz; Prince Faisal Ibn Abdullah Ibn Mohammed Al Saud, Assistant Chief of General Intelligence; Prince Abdul Rahman Ibn Saud Al Kabeer; Prince General Miteb Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Deputy Commandeer of the National Guard for Military Affairs; Prince Mansour Ibn Nassir Ibn Abdul Aziz; Prince Dr. Bandar Ibn Salman Ibn Mohammed Al Saud, Advisor at the Crown Prince's Court; Iyad Ibn Amin Madani, the Minister of Culture and Information; Abdul Mohsin Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Tuwaijri, Advisor at the Crown Prince's Court; and a number of officials. On the other hand Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz stated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would not be shaken by the smear campaigns of its detractors. "The Kingdom will remain strong and victorious by the grace of God and as a result of the unity and cohesion of its people," he said in remarks carried by the Saudi Press Agency. The Crown Prince was addressing Saudi and foreign dignitaries including intellectuals and journalists who came to attend the 20th Heritage and Culture Festival in Janadriyah, 45 km north of Riyadh. Prince Abdullah called upon Muslim scholars and intellectuals to play their role in strengthening Arab and Islamic unity. He noted Saudi Arabia's efforts in forging unity and solidarity among Arab and Islamic countries over the past years. "You might have heard about the allegations and accusations levelled against the Kingdom. But, by the grace of God, the Saudi people will not be shaken by such campaigns," the Crown Prince told the gathering. He said the enemies would be deflated by the willpower of the Saudi people. Top officials including Prince Miteb Ibn Abdullah, Assistant Deputy Commander of the National Guard for Military Affairs and Deputy Chairman of the festival's supreme organizing committee, attended the reception. In his extempore speech, Prince Abdullah said that Al-Qaeda militants tarnished the image of Islam and Muslims across the world. "These people do not belong to Islam, nor are they Arabs or Muslims," he said and urged Muslim scholars to defend Islam and work for the peaceful coexistence of various faiths and communities. A total of 221 people, including 92 suspected militants, have been killed in a series of terror attacks in the Kingdom over the past two years. Saudi security forces were successful in foiling 52 terrorist operations. Prince Abdullah told the scholars and intellectuals taking part in various Janadriyah events that they are free to make open criticisms. "This is your festival and your country ... feel free to make criticisms if any," he said and requested them to forgive if there was any negligence from the part of Saudis. Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz opened the annual cultural event, which includes a variety of programs. Some 50 scholars and experts from within and outside the Kingdom are expected to participate in a seminar titled "Knowledge and Development." According to a report carried by the Saudi Press Agency, more than 120,000 people have visited the festival so far. Popular souks displaying traditional products and handicrafts attracted the largest number of visitors, the agency said. The final ceremony of the Quran and Sunnah contest, named after Prince Abdullah, was held at King Faisal Conference Hall this evening. Over 1,000 students took part in the competition, one of the festival's premier events. Prince Miteb has said the Janadriyah festival has hosted more than 125 seminars in addition to 45 lectures on regional and international topics and 40 poetic sessions over the past years. Prince Miteb underscored the festival's efforts in promoting women's cultural and intellectual activities. "We have invited a large number of internationally-known political, cultural and intellectual personalities," he said, adding that the number of foreign participants had reached 3,000. Sheikh Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdul Mohsin Al Tuwaijri, Assistant Commander of the National Guard, held a lunch party in honor of the gusts of Janadriyah Festival for Heritage and Culture. The function was also attended by National Guard Under Secretary Dr. Abdul Rahman Ibn Sibait Al Sibait and senior officials in addition to reporters and intellectuals. Meanwhile thousands of Saudis attended the annual Janadriyah Heritage and Cultural Festival when it informally opened to the public. All roads leading to the festival venue were jammed with hundreds of vehicles creating traffic snarls along the Thumamah Road, where several amusement parks are located. A noteworthy aspect this time was the total absence of expatriates at the festival. Western expatriates who normally show up at such cultural events, stayed away. Police patrol cars were out in force, while unarmed security men from the National Guard, monitored the flow of visitors to the exhibition complex. Visitors had to leave their vehicles far away from the exhibition grounds and had to walk the distance amid slush and a cold evening snap. Thousands of Saudis, both young and old, crowded the venue of the festival that features a number of pavilions portraying the cultural tapestry of each region. All eyes were on the male dancers brandishing their swords to the accompaniment of traditional music. The crowd was so dense that the youths took up vantage points to watch the spectacle. Besides the folklore, another feature of the Asir pavilion was the sale of handicrafts typical of the region. Put up for sale were traditional swords, daggers, silver jewellery and freshly extracted sesame oil. The same pattern was repeated elsewhere, with each pavilion dedicated to a different province highlighting its typical culture and lifestyle. Speaking to Arab News, Naser Al-Naser, owner of a handicraft shop, said his customers were mainly Saudis. "In the past, we used to have quite a few Western customers who would shop for handicrafts without bargaining. This time we have none as you can see for yourself." Muhammad Al Ghanim, a Saudi visitor, said it would be nice if the National Guard could add some new attractions every year. "I am a regular visitor and I find the same pavilions and trinkets every year." Various ministries and non-governmental organizations have put up their own stalls complete with literature and audiovisual material. The Ministry of Hajj has put up a huge screen showing the Holy Kaaba and other places of interest to the pilgrims. The Ministry of Social Affairs' pavilion had on display a range of products made by handicapped people. An official spokesman told Arab News that there are eight to 10 workshops in the capital where 70 disabled students are being trained in making items such as the Holy Quran wooden stands, embroidered table mats and electrical accessories. The Ministry of Culture and Information held at King Fahd Cultural Center a luncheon party in honor of the guests of Janadriyah National 20th Festival for Heritage and Culture in Riyadh. The guests toured the center including the Saudi Book Fair. Then a speech ceremony was held on this occasion. In his speech, the Minister of Culture and Information Iyad Ibn Amin Madani said that Islam is the framework that combines dialogues in the Kingdom, noting that the four sessions of the National Dialogue held in various regions are unprecedented patterns which dealt with national issues in the Kingdom . The minister indicated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a live pattern of the development process that should be carried out in the Arab world. The party was attended by Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Subait, the National Guard Undersecretary and Chairman of the Festival's Executive Committee; the ministry's undersecretaries; intellectuals; and men of information and culture. The number of visitors of Janadriyah Festival for Heritage and Culture in its first day reached more than 150,000, officials said. Major General Saad Ibn Motlaq Abothnain, Supervisor of Janadriyah Site, said that the nice weather and the successful security and traffic plans drawn up by the National Guard in cooperation with other relevant departments helped in attracting visitors to come in large numbers and enjoy their time without any single incident.