DAMMAM – Eastern Coast Festival for Maritime Heritage, currently taking place on the waterfront of Dammam until March 28, has created 800 temporary jobs for small business families. The festival is organized by the Eastern Province Tourism Development Council in collaboration with the SCTA and a number of public and private departments. Festival director Manie Al Manie said the small business families have excelled in doing handicrafts and popular tradition Arabic cuisine. Visitors shopping and purchase of vendors in the crafts market and traditional Eastern food, returned them a good income. Families exhibit their diverse products to highlight the identity of Eastern Province heritage. The products on display include sewing, embroidery, aromatic products, handicrafts, traditional Eastern food, heritage clothing, wickerwork and baskets industry. The festival has different pavilions and sections, including the Heritage Village, festival's carnival and photo gallery which illustrates the local maritime heritage, and a number of hosted popular folk shows which will continue accompanying the festival. "The festival aims to contribute to highlight the EP's tourism potentials, especially maritime heritage potentials, in-roots province identity, and to draw in a large number of visitors to make the province a significant tourism destination," Al Manie added.
