King Salman patronizes opening of Janadriya 31

King Salman Wednesday patronized the opening ceremony of the 31st session of the Janadriya Festival, the national event for heritage and culture named to celebrate Saudi identity. 
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa were received upon arrival by Riyadh Governor Prince Faisal bin Bandar. 
They were also greeted by Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, minister of the National Guard, and Abdul Mohsen Al-Tuwaijri, deputy minister of the National Guard and deputy chairman of the festival's supreme committee.
The first session of the grand camel race began in the presence of King Salman and other guests.
King Salman honored three prominent Saudi figures: Ahmed bin Mohammed Ali, Abdulrahman Al-Shibaili and Safiyyah bint Said bin Zaqr. They were conferred with the Order of King Abdulaziz, first class.
Events are lined up for citizens and expatriates over the next 17 days.
Prince Miteb, who also serves as chairman of the Supreme Committee of the festival, welcomed the King and other VIP guests. He said Janadriya reflects the development witnessed by the Kingdom thanks to efforts of its sons, ideas of thinkers, heritage of predecessors and wisdom of its leaders.
“On this day, we remember sacrifices and heroism of our fathers and grandfathers, as recorded by days and nights, we recall their march when they carried the banner of victory and glory in the way of unity and unification with their leader and founder late King Abdulaziz with whom they worked hard in order to solidify the pillars of the nation,” said Prince Miteb.
He added that they feel proud of the national festival for the goals achieved in more than three decades and that it symbolizes the national cohesion. He also pointed to the unifying ranks where the festival represents all areas of the Kingdom and allows generations to know their past, the history of homeland, its culture and heritage.
He said the staff of the National Guard were honored to have the King among them in the festival who, since its inception, has been a key supporter to its functions as the festival is considered a civilized national project which contributes to linking Saudi man to his lands and heritage.
He welcomed Egypt as guest of honor country for this edition, which, he said, is the land of civilization, arts, culture and knowledge.
He welcomed all guests and congratulated the cultural figures whom were honored and granted the Order of King Abdulaziz, first class, by the King in recognition of their excellence in the area of knowledge and creativity.
Egyptian Minister of Culture Dr. Hilmi Al-Nimnim expressed pleasure over the participation as guest of honor.
“We are in a festival developing year after year and celebrating cultural, creative and heritage aspects of the Kingdom, the GCC countries and Arab countries,” he said.
At the end of camel race, King Salman, the Kuwaiti Emir and the Bahraini King delivered prizes to winners who occupied the first five ranks.
The festival receives hundreds of foreign thinkers and writers to meet their Saudi counterparts and enrich the cultural and literary arenas with their products through the programs in the festival.
There are pavilions of provinces to showcase their heritage and crafts, authentic food, popular heritage reflecting traditions and customs of each region. The pavilion by government institutions displays their achievements through pictographs, models and collectibles. A pavilion by private companies displays their achievements, progress and development and offering job opportunities.
Furthermore, the fine arts gallery at the festival include features of a number of artists in the Kingdom. The festival also features the handicraft market, which showcases crafts to highlight the quality, workmanship and heritage of each region.
The King also received Gen. Saif bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, deputy prime minister and minister of Interior of the United Arab Emirates; Sheikh Jasim bin Hamad Al-Thani, representative of Qatari Emir Asaad bin Tareq Al-Saeed, personal representative of Sultan Qaboos bin Saeed of the Sultanate of Oman; Hilmi Al-Namnam, Egyptian minister of Culture, Ali Hasanov, assistant of the President of Azerbaijan for Political and Social Affairs and other officials from a number of friendly countries.

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