September is a month of celebration for Mexico and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as both countries celebrate their National Days. On the occasion of the CCXIII Anniversary of Mexican Independence Day and 71st Anniversary of Saudi-Mexican Diplomatic Relations established on September 12, 1952, H.E. Ambassador Aníbal Gómez-Toledo hosted a reception on the September 14, 2023 at the Cultural Palace in the Diplomatic Quarters.
The festive evening was graced by Vice Governor of Riyadh, H.R.H. Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud along with other members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of the business, academic and cultural sectors of Saudi Arabia, the Mexican community and the Mexican National Weightlifting Team who were in Riyadh for the 2023 World Weightlifting Championships.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Gómez-Toledo reflected upon the bilateral agenda for the recent months highlighting the importance of political dialogue and acknowledged the business and investment opportunities as key factors to advance the links between both economics with respect to private equity, oil and gas and agri-foods. He further mentioned that the National Orchestra of Saudi Arabia performed ‘Marvels of Saudi’ at the National Auditorium in Mexico City in June this year while a group of Mexican artisans participated in the ‘International Week of Handicrafts’ in Riyadh, both events boosting cultural diplomacy. His Excellency also highlighted the mutual love for football and golf along with gastronomy between nationals of both countries.
The guests were then treated to a spectacular performance of ‘La Culebra’. The Spanish name literally translates to ‘The Snake’ which is a popular folk ballet from the Bajío region of Mexico wherein performers dance in a serpentine formation to intense upbeat music. It tells a captivating story of farmers plowing in the fields until their wives come along spotting a nest of snakes thus raising an alarm by screaming and scaring them away by flaring their vibrant skirts. To this, the farmers fearlessly deal with the snakes by stomping their feet without considering the consequences! Another highlight for the event was the live, cheery performances by Mariachi musicians in their signature Sombrero hats and black Charro (horsemen) attires playing string instruments and singing along while the guests relished traditional Mexican cuisine.
