Colors of Saudi Arabia stun VIP visitor

The Saudi Colors Forum 2015 greatly impressed South African Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom who, after touring the pavilions at the ongoing fourth edition at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, expressed his deep admiration, saying: "I am amazed to see the Kingdom’s stunning cultural diversity."

"The paintings being displayed at the ongoing forum highlight the rich cultural and natural diversity characterized by the Kingdom," he underlined after his visit at the forum recently.
Hanekom was on an official trip to the Kingdom seeking to enhance cooperation with Saudi Arabia on tourism including the possibility of easing visa requirements for Saudi citizens.
An official of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH), the organizer of the forum, said Thursday that the visiting minister was greatly impressed with the display of photos at the forum highlighting the Kingdom’s brilliant cultural and natural diversity.
“I am very pleased with my visit to the Kingdom and wherever I go I feel a warm welcome by the Saudi people. I felt as if I have lived here all my life. It was a wonderful day and I look forward to seeing more about the Kingdom, which is an incredibly beautiful country with welcoming and friendly people,” the minster said.
In his remark on the forum, Hanekom said: “The photo exhibition includes beautiful photos taken by talented people of the nature and historical sites, depicting beautiful sites and places in the Kingdom."
"Besides their imaging of the Kingdom, they are narrating the story of the people and the wonderful cultural diversity, and portraying the natural and historic sites in a talented and creative way," the South African minister noted.
The forum, the largest event in the Kingdom for photography and short films in tourism, culture and heritage, was inaugurated by SCTNH President Prince Sultan bin Salman on Sunday.
Started in 2012, the forum is organized annually in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Information to encourage and honor both professional and amateur photographers, and short filmmakers in an attempt to shed light on the Kingdom’s tourism, heritage and natural sites, rich and diverse society and urban progress.