Balad heritage festival draws more than 800,000 visitors

 The heritage festivals Ramadanana Kida (Our Ramadan Was Like This) and Eidena Kida (Our Eid Was Like This) that concluded in the historic Balad District of Jeddah on Monday proved to be a hit for the second year in a row with a total of more than 800,000 visitors from around the Kingdom turning out.

The 34-day festival that began on the first day of Ramadan recreated the beautiful Hijazi lifestyle of the region and drew families and other visitors from Jeddah and the rest of the country. 

It showcased various traditional, educational and artistic events and activities organized by government entities and the private sector.

Abdullah Bin Dahwi, head of the organizing committee, said the event was a big success. 

“The festival provided the visitors with an array of activities that helped introduce them to the history of the Hijaz region. It also represented the Hijazi generosity and hospitality,” Dahwi said.

"The festival in the historical area is becoming one of the most important events on Saudi Arabia’s tourism calendar and is positively reflecting on the performance of businesses here in Jeddah,” he added.

Dahwi said the event was a testament to Jeddah's ability to host big national events. "It also confirms that Jeddah’s infrastructure is ready to receive large numbers of visitors coming from all parts of country to witness such an event," he said.

He noted that the festival has strengthened the position of Jeddah as a source of culture, literature and history.

The activities were held under the support of Prince Mishal Bin Majed, governor of Jeddah and chairman of the Supreme Committee for the Festival of Historical Jeddah.