The Heritage Village at Jeddah Ghair 2011 has gained the admiration of thousands of visitors. Over 100 events and activities have been planned over the 70-day Jeddah Ghair festivities. The village is situated at Jeddah Chamber's Center for Forums and Events. Setting up the village gives insights into Saudi heritage and traditions, and raises awareness of the value of that heritage that distinguishes the Kingdom and its people, said Hasan Bin Ibrahim Dhahlan, acting Secretary General of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Festival organizers have invited folk groups, artists, dramatists, folk artists and chefs, he added. Artists and folk groups from several Arab countries are taking part in the festival, Dhahlan said. The event also includes plastic art exhibitions and a dates festival, in which several companies will take part, he noted. There are special pavilions for each participating Arab country. Khaled Naqro, Director of Rinad Company, the Village's organizer, said pavilions included those for traditional clothes, old home appliances and work tools. Special tents were erected for activities such as playing the Rababa, a traditional musical instrument, and the traditional drums, dofoof and duff, that are used in weddings, he added. Some participants showed their cooking and needlework skills, and served coffee and dates. Visitors viewed theater performances, acrobatic and other shows. Muhammad Abdulraheem Al-Safah, Director of Tourism and Events in JCCI, said the Heritage Village represents the change witnessed by Jeddah Ghair. There is a new strategy and mechanism to achieve the goals of supporting tourist programs and development in the city, he said. New additions to the Heritage Festival include pavilions for Arab and Saudi heritage, the Date Festival, the food village, the child's village and theater, various competitions, the plastic-artists house and a pavilion for the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts, Al
