RIYADH/JEDDAH – Summer festivals will kick off in a number of cities across the Kingdom on Thursday. These festivals are expected to draw more than 10 million visitors and generate revenue worth over SR10 billion, according to tourism industry sources. The summer vacation, which starts this weekend, will witness more than 45 festivals, showcasing the culture and heritage of various cities and regions. The Jeddah Ghair festival will open Thursday evening and will continue for 24 days. Governor of Jeddah Prince Mishal Bin Majed will preside over the opening ceremony that will be attended by a number of princes, government officials and businessmen, among others. The festival will be held at the Al-Hamrah Corniche to the south of the Equestrian Club. It will feature more than 100 various sports and entertainment, tourist and other activities that are expected to attract more than 3 million visitors and generate revenues of more than SR3 billion, which will be used to reinforce Jeddah's position as a domestic and foreign tourist destination. Scores of fireworks will light the skies of Jeddah during the opening ceremony. The festival will extend over 70 entertainment parks and 360 commercial centers that will hand out prizes to lucky visitors. A number of sponsors and organizers will be honored during the opening ceremony, in which many officials will take the floor. Residents of the Bride of the Red Sea will be in for great surprises. Lotteries will be drawn for 15 new cars, three kilograms of gold and 5,000 other valuable gifts. The shopping malls will also grant special discounts during the festival. Sheikh Saleh Kamel, chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), which is one of the main organizers, said the festival would come out as a spectacular tourist product to be presented to visitors of the city, the main gateway for the Two Holy Mosques. He said: “The festival will reflect the identity of Jeddah, which has more than 3,000 years of history. It will also spotlight the tourist attractions of the city.” Kamel asked Saudis and GCC citizens to spend their summer vacation in Jeddah to enjoy its natural beauty and kaleidoscopic scenery. Hamad Al-Asheikh, deputy president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) for marketing and programs, said the festivals are expected to create temporary jobs for more than 5,000 Saudis. “The festivals will present a unique opportunity to promote domestic tourism by unveiling the Kingdom's diverse and rich tourism potential before all segments of Saudi society as well as those coming from outside the Kingdom,” he said. There will be social, cultural, recreational, heritage, shopping and sports events and activities as part of the festivals, he added.
