Munawarunnisa Nazneen Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — During the recent short break for the schools, families were treated to a day of sightseeing and a sea trip on the Red Sea. KSA Group & Ahlam Tourism Company organized a five-hour trip across the Red Sea on a special cruise ship, owned by Prince Abdullah Bin Saud Bin Mohammed Al Saud. Parents and children were brought under one umbrella for a day of enjoyment on the sea. A memorable dinner brought the curtains on the fun-filled cruise. Arrangements for the invited guests (multinationals), who held key positions in their respective companies, were super. Though these people meet at seminars and other official events, a family outing in leisure was something new. Most of the students were from Saudi, Indian and Pakistani schools and they thoroughly enjoyed the trip in company of their parents. Apart from the camaraderie, the attendees joined in with gusto in the other events during the cruise. Organizers had invited celebrities from Saudi Arabia, actor Hani Nazer, poet and lyricist Shaikh Fuad Yanbawi, and lyricist Naji Batesh. Saudi Poet Essam Ghalib, Media Professional Ayesha Fallata and some key government officials along with Bollywood's live performer and playback singer Khan. The main sponsor for this event was Al-Hamrani Group & Fuchs Petroleum Germany. To entertain students on this special tour, Khan performed on his guitar a series of his numbers in seven multinational languages — Arabic, English, Korean, Hindi, Tamil, Urdu and Punjabi. Khan has a very good fan following around the world. Saheb Khan's next schedule is to perform in China. Tariq Lateef anchored the event, in which Omar Farooque and Shehzad Khan too performed their numbers. Farooque's melodious voice echoed the numbers of great singers such as Sonu Nigam and Udit Narayan and was well received by the attendees. Altaf Khan with his stand up comedy and skits kept the audience in splits. Desi Boys from Desi Entertainers added the ambience with their performance on the stage with “desi rhythms and numbers.” At the end a raffle draw took place where gifts were distributed among the lucky winners. Saudi celebrities and families appreciated the organizers' efforts to host such an event and also the cruise. The dinner was served by Shaheen Restaurant, with the cruise ending at around 11 PM.
