By Michelle Delos Reyes
To know more of Saudi Arabia’s heritage and culture, there’s only one major thing you need to do: attend the Janadriyah Festival, the largest cultural celebration in the Kingdom which showcases its past and present, and shows glimpses of its future.
The Janadriyah Cultural and Heritage Festival, sponsored by the Saudi National Guard, was first held in 1985. It offered a variety of activities and programs, showing the rich cultural history and tradition of Saudi Arabia.
The Janadriyah Festival is considered to be the most famous cultural event in Saudi Arabia; it embraces almost all aspects of Saudi culture. It’s a trip down memory lane, a learning hub, and a gallery of arts and craftsmanship all rolled into one. It’s a custom for the festival to start with the grand annual camel race. Speeches, national performances and recognitions follow throughout the days that the festival is open to the public.
The festival is held during the winter season, which makes walking in the gorgeous weather a treat. There are six gates to the festival and one day is not enough to see the entirety of the place. Good thing, there’s no entrance fee and people are free to take a map of the area to guide them where to go. Information booths with friendly staff are also found along the way. Discovering each pavilion in the festival is a must as each one is different. Surprises abound!
The 33rd Janadriyah Festival has a theme of ‘faithfulness and loyalty’. Each year, a country is invited to become the guest of honor. Past festivals featured Germany (Janadriyah 30), Egypt (Janadriyah 31), and India (Janadriyah 32). This year, it’s Indonesia.
The guest country is given an opportunity to display their own culture and heritage in one of the special pavilions and perform their national dances and talents in the main stage. Indonesia introduced their folklore arts theater to the audience. It showcased their tribal, royal, and folk dances from different Indonesian provinces.
The heritage village, which is a permanent fixture in Janadriyah, has more than 80 pavilions. These pavilions house the different provinces including Najran, Hail, Jazan, Wassim, Al Gath, Al Madina, Al Baha, Asir, Al Kharj, Tabuk, and Al Jouf. Other Gulf countries like Bahrain, Oman and UAE have their own areas as well. Each pavilion depicts the art, architecture, food, and local produce that are prominent in the region. Traditional songs, dances, and poetry are also presented. Artisans from all over the Kingdom are also given the opportunity to exhibit their craft from carpet weaving, pottery making, and woodcarving.
The various government offices, ministries, medical services, hospitals and universities in Saudi Arabia are also included in the festival. Guests learn a lot from their pavilions. There are also restaurants and fast food kiosks. There are games for children and there are henna artists for women to get some unique designs. Souks and bazaars are in every corner and buying local accessories and produce is a must! It’s the perfect time to shop for honey and dates! We tried their light-colored honey to the amusement of the vendor explaining what makes the colors of the sweet liquid darker and lighter. This is a great time to try some of their delicacies and if you stay long enough, you might be able to witness the fireworks display at the end of the night.
Every year, the festival gets better! There are so many new things to see and experience. The Janadriyah festival is truly a feast for the senses! It is worth visiting this unique and delightful display of culture and history.
