Prince Khaled Bin Bandar Bin Abdul Aziz, Emir of Riyadh region receives at his office in Al-Hukm Palace Saturday Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Zamil, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI). — SPA Saeed Al Khotani Saudi Gazette
RIYADH — Prince Khalid Bin Bandar, Emir of Riyadh, inaugurated of the 9th edition of the Riyadh Shopping Festival at Sahara Mall here on Saturday. Top officials of the capital, dignitaries, businessmen, journalists, and a large gathering of people — including families and children — attended the opening. The festival, an event organized by Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) in collaboration with Riyadh Governorate and around 250 businesses in the city, is expected to last one month. The Chairman of Tourism Committee at RCCI and head of organizing committee of the festival, Mohammed Al Moajil, told Saudi Gazette that the festival, an ongoing event for the last nine years, is being held with the view at stimulating commercial activities in the capital that usually slows down during summer time due to the exodus of people to other parts of the Kingdom or abroad. “Also, it aims at entertaining the people of Riyadh and the summer visitors to the capital from nearby villages, towns, cities, and regions, as well as from neighboring Gulf countries like Qatar and Kuwait. You might not believe that we expect to retain and attract two and a half million people this summer. Last year we succeeded in attracting 2.250.000 people according to the statistics of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA),” he said. Al Moajil pointed out that the shopping festival, in which around 18 malls and amusement centers and over 1,500 stores and shops are participating, will include around 250 in-house entertainment activities that will attract families and children during the festival period, in addition to enjoying the shopping with discounts up-till 70% on more than 100 brands. Alongside the RCI event, the Riyadh municipality also started Saturday its festival “Municipality Summer Activities 1343H”, that will include a large chain of cultural and entertainment events. Unlike the activities of the shopping festival that all are indoors, many of the activities of the municipality, that will last about four weeks, will be outdoors. Indoor activities will include lectures, seminars, children games, shows for families and children, theater plays, contest for special needs children. While outdoor activities will include football tournament in which 12 neighborhood teams will participate, educational days in Riyadh zoo, circus, carnival, and performance shows from local and foreign crews brought specially from Europe, Russia, Africa, and China.
