RIYADH: The ongoing 15th Klaija Festival at the King Khalid Cultural Center in Buraidah has helped local producers sell their products and ensure the event’s success, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
Organized by the Qassim Chamber of Commerce, there are participants from the Gulf countries, and include 217 families and 20 craftsmen specializing in handicrafts.
More than 700 young men and women from various organizations are supporting the festival’s programs, SPA reported.
In response to the increased demand and attendance, Qassim Gov. Prince Faisal bin Mishaal has extended the festival by 10 days until Feb. 27. He had earlier toured the festival with several officials.
Umm Youssef, a local producer, said she has been gratified by the increased attendance, which has allowed her to sell more of her products, including the klaija dessert.
Expert klaija crafter, Umm Khaled, said the festival was an opportunity to showcase her skills. She said her daily sales exceeds SR1,000 ($266).
The klaija dessert is one of the leading products of the region, and has helped to create jobs.
Klaija’s ingredients include wheat flour, sugar, lemon, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and molasses. The dough is stuffed with some of the ingredients and baked to a crisp.
For more than 45 years, Umm Ahmed has been baking Klaija and is a regular at the festival. She said she makes over SR800 a day from her product.
Specially designated pavilions at the festival showcase a variety of klaija, traditional foods, sweets, and diverse handicrafts.
Several officials thanked Prince Faisal for his ongoing support of the Klaija Festival, including Mohammed Al-Hanaya, the secretary of the Qassim Chamber of Commerce, and Mayada Badr, CEO of the Culinary Arts Commission.
Badr emphasized the commission’s dedication to supporting the klaija industry, which is on the list of the National and Regional Dishes Narratives initiative, which seeks to celebrate Saudi Arabia’s cuisine.
