Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region, on Sunday visited the Second Souq Okaz Cultural Festival. Prince Khalid, who is also Chairman of the Higher Committee for Cultural Souq Okaz, witnessed the exemplary folk dance shows presented by troupes of the Ministry of Culture and Information for Cultural Affairs and Al-Majroor Troupe of Culture and Arts Society in Taif. The Emir also watched a drama enacted by children. Prince Khalid also toured traditional food market and visited the pavilion set up by the General Commission for Tourism and Antiquities. The pavilion showcases inscriptions and photographs of landmarks as well as historical manuscripts on Souq Okaz site. Prince Khalid's tour also covered the plastic arts exhibition and an open theater where he watched a folk dance show. He also visited Al-Khansa Tent allocated for women's cultural activities. Prince Khalid promised the women's committee with support to upgrade the Al-Khansa Tent in the coming years so as to make it a forum for thought, culture and literature for women litterateurs and intellectuals from within the Kingdom and outside. He praised the efforts exerted during the activities of the Souq this year. At the end of the visit, Prince Khalid handed over commemorative shields to heads of executive committees for the Second Souq Okaz Cultural Festival. Prince Khalid attended part of the critical appreciation seminar in Al-Dhibyani Tent which was linked with a sound system to Al-Khansa Tent. The seminar was on women's poetry between tradition and modernity and participants included Dr. Fuad Abdul Aziz Al-La'boun, Dr. Fatima Ilyas, and Dr. Mu'jab Al-Adwani. Dr. Dhafer Al-Shihri acted as seminar moderator. Speakers largely focused on women's creative accomplishments in poetry. Dr. Fatima Ilyas spoke on women's poetry and the changes it is witnessing. Dr. Fuad Al-La'boun said women are able to express themselves and nobody could prevent them from writing poetry. – Okaz __
