Desert festivities are set to ring in the New Year, the Saudi way

Saudis will be ringing in the New Year, the Saudi way, with celebrations that will last for three months for all to enjoy.

The General Entertainment Authority (GEA) and the International Company for Organizing Events and Activities, in cooperation with Seven Experience and Rotana audio and video company, has announced the latest luxury entertainment project set to debut in the heart of the Kingdom’s desert interior.

Dubbed “Oasis Riyadh,” the three-month-long event will feature a variety of recreational activities, such as concerts, traditional camping, and upscale restaurants. All will be held in the open air in a remote desert area in the north of Riyadh, and in compliance with coronavirus safety procedures.

The winter-themed events will witness performances by prominent Saudi artists, featuring many aesthetic elements. Activities will take the form of open-air concerts and sporting events, authentic desert camping experiences, and will include shopping pavilions with pop-ups from international and local brands to display and sell a range of unique products that match the event’s theme.

Restaurants slated to open up pop-ups during the event include contemporary Japanese restaurant Zuma, Latin American fusion restaurant Amazonico, Italian kitchen Roberto’s, Greek seafood restaurant Nammos, and more.

“I’ve been living in Riyadh for two years now after moving from Alkhobar, and not once was I disappointed by any of the events that I visited,” said Osama Rami Z., a private sector worker.

“The organization has always been at peak performance and activities are plentiful, and after a few tough summer months, we can ring in the New Year and look forward to a good start to 2021.”

The event will be part of the “Ideas of Entertainment” initiative launched by GEA Chairman Turki Al-Sheikh last Wednesday. The initiative has been launched to boost the Kingdom’s entertainment sector post-pandemic. It is the first of 20 ideas that Al-Sheikh has previously promised to support.

As part of the initiative, Al-Sheikh called on all those interested in entertainment to share ideas and suggestions, and how to implement them, by sending a video clip to idea@gea.gov.sa. He also announced that an award would be given to the top 20 ideas, provided that they were unique.

The GEA chief also lauded the role that all the GEA’s employees played in the advancement of the entertainment sector, and the efforts made to place the Kingdom prominently on the global entertainment map.

ARAB NEWS