RIYADH: The Saudi Heritage Commission has put together a number of activities at the Buraidah Date Festival, which is organized by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture’s Qassim branch.
The festival’s pavilions showcase various aspects of the country’s heritage, from mud-house construction and old farming songs to market life in the past and the traditional Saudi coffee majlis. There is also a pavilion dedicated to the Year of Arabic Poetry.
The commission is also displaying an array of old handicrafts, including traditional embroidery and clothing, wood sculptures and handmade palm and Tamarix products, such as the kuphar and zabeel. Visitors can explore a model of the traditional Najdi majlis, where they are served fresh coffee made with traditional tools.
The Buraidah date Festival is displaying an array of old handicrafts, including traditional embroidery and clothing. (SPA)
The commission’s activities include a daily theatrical show that showcases the Najdi market and conversations between merchants and buyers. There is also a section dedicated to children, where they can have fun, learn how to sell and buy dates and listen to historical stories from Najdi heritage.
The activities aim to shed light on the lives of past Saudi generations who lived before the oil revolution.
Over 50 family growers are participating in the festival alongside a host of craftswomen and female entrepreneurs. The event aims to support local farmers and artisans and recognize their contribution to promoting the Kingdom’s products and preserving its culture.
The Buraidah date Festival is displaying an array of old handicrafts, including traditional embroidery and clothing. (SPA)
The Buraidah Date Festival will spotlight one of the region’s most significant resources — the palm tree, a symbol of Saudi cultural identity and a major component of its economy.
More than 40 artists are taking part in the festival, and visitors can watch them create murals and paintings portraying the economic and social significance of palm trees and their fruits.
Local date traders will also showcase their produce, and around 150 murals depicting various aspects of the palm tree — including its fronds, trunk, and fruit — will be on display in an exhibition that highlights the manufacturing industries linked to the palm tree.
The festival, which will run until Aug. 25, has created more than 4,000 seasonal job opportunities and attracted a large number of traders and consumers, leading to a significant increase in commerce.
