JEDDAH: Al-Ahsa in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province is celebrating the third edition of its iconic annual flower festival to honor the beauty of nature.
The event is planned by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture’s Al-Ahsa branch and will run from Jan. 5 to Jan. 15 in Juatha, a historic city known for its stunning landscapes and fertile soil. This year’s festival is marked with floral art portraying King Salman, which spans more than 80 meters.
It features more than 1 million flowers of different colors, including green and white for the ghotra and red, yellow and orange flowers for lips and skin.
The portrait has been beautifully and skillfully crafted and contains plant species such as the Mexican marigold, petunia and basil.
Kamal Alojairy, manager of corporate communication at the ministry’s office in Al-Ahsa, told Arab News that the festival aims to introduce visitors to advanced agriculture techniques, such as drones, as well as basic tips to grow indoor and outdoor plants.
He added that the festival will spread awareness about the importance of environmental sustainability.
“There has been a great turnout so far. The timing of the festival is perfect as it coincided with school vacations. The number of visitors is increasing by the day,” he said.
Alojairy added that there are many sections to see at the festival. “There are various accompanying events, such as government agencies specializing in agriculture, companies from the private sector, in addition to booths allocated for families, too.”
Eng. Abdulmajeed bin Wahab Al-Mulhim, who demonstrated agricultural drone technique at the festival, told Arab News that the devices are now serving a purpose beyond photography, praising their use in irrigation.
The festival also features nine plant species that grow best in the region, including the arawla, clove tree, snapdragon, violet, hoary stock and touch-me-not.
Nature-themed products and services are also on offer, such as large 3D butterflies made of blooming flowers, as well as many workshops for families.
Flower power: Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahsa hosts iconic garden festival
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Flower power: Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahsa hosts iconic garden festival
- The portrait has been beautifully and skillfully crafted and contains plant species such as the Mexican marigold, petunia and basil
Saudi, Pakistan defense chiefs discuss ‘measures needed to halt’ Iranian attacks on Kingdom
RIYADH: Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces Asim Munir discussed Iran’s attacks on the Kingdom, amid the escalating military conflict in the Middle East.
“We discussed Iranian attacks on the Kingdom and the measures needed to halt them within the framework of our Joint Strategic Defense Agreement,” Prince Khalid wrote on social media early on Saturday.
“We stressed that such actions undermine regional security and stability and expressed hope that the Iranian side will exercise wisdom and avoid miscalculation.”
The US and Israel began a large-scale military campaign against Iran on Feb. 28. Iran has since attacked a number of sites across the Gulf.
Tehran has also attacked US and Israeli military assets as the war as escalated, impacting lives in the peaceful Arabian Gulf peninsula and risked shaking the global economy as Iran continued restricting energy shipping along the Strait of Hormuz.
The Saudi Defense Ministry said a number of drones had been shot down that were targeting the Shayba oil field in the Empty Quarter on Saturday.
A drone attacked the US embassy in Riyadh on Tuesday causing a minor fire, but no one was hurt in the incident.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a “Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement” in September, pledging that aggression against one country would be treated as an attack on both.
Separately, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif, the Saudi interior minister, received a call from his Pakistani counterpart Raza Naqvi, who condemned the blatant attacks targeting the Kingdom and affirmed his country’s solidarity in confronting any threats to the Kingdom’s security and stability, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
