Germany will be the guest of honor at the next Janadriyah festival. The 19-day festival at Al-Janadriyah heritage village, on the outskirts of Riyadh, starts Feb. 3, 2016 stated that "It is a great honor for Germany to have been chosen as the guest country for the upcoming 30th edition of the festival, German Ambassador Boris Ruge said. "It is a recognition of the excellent state of our bilateral relations," he said. The German participation will take place under the slogan "Germany - Land of Ideas: Innovation has Tradition" Ruge explained. In the German pavilion, situated at the center of the festival site, the Saudi public will be able to learn more about Germany and experience the rich diversity of German culture and traditions. "Germany is seeking a dialogue with the people of Saudi Arabia and we hope that the German pavilion can contribute to the mutual understanding of each other's culture," Ambassador Ruge said. On the occasion of the official opening of the festival, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Minister of Foreign Affairs, will be back in the Kingdom. In addition to that, German artists, folklore dancers and musicians as well as renowned academics will participate in the festival. "Innovation has tradition": German pavilion invites to a time travel through a typical German city "In the pavilion visitors will find ideas and projects ‘Made in Germany' whether in business, science or society, and experience innovative solutions the country is offering to meet future challenges. We are inviting the Saudi audience to time travel through a typical German city," Ruge said. The pavilion tour starts at a medieval city gate and proceeds over a moat into the inner pavilion. Visitors will then experience a historical market place and half-timbered houses, so called ‘Fachwerkhäuser', proceeding into modern German life and houses. Shops along the street will house various German companies and their innovative products and craftsmanship. Just at the beginning of the old market place an exhibition about female pioneers in science and technology from Germany as well as from Saudi Arabia and the Arab and Islamic world will be shown in cooperation with Dar Al-Hekma University in Jeddah. At the end of the modern town square a virtual exhibition of the Berlin-based Museum of Islamic Art's special presentation "Early Islamic Capitals" can be experienced. The end of the tour is marked by a fascinating look into the future. "By visiting the German pavilion, people can experience first hand that innovation indeed has tradition in Germany," Ruge said. A cultural program will also be offered by the Goethe-Institut featuring artists displaying modern and contemporary art forms with elements of traditional culture. In addition, visitors can look forward to thematic exhibitions by the business partners on such topics as mobility and logistics, energy efficiency, education, trade and production, information and communication. The national cultural and folklore festival at Janadriyah is the only one of its kind and is extremely popular among the population, attracting around one million visitors each year. For the seventh time, a host country will be given the opportunity to present its characteristics and traditions as well as its own way of life and culture to the Saudi public. In past years, China, Korea, Japan, Turkey, France and, most recently, the United Arab Emirates were invited to the festival.
