JEDDAH: The General Directorate of Passports, part of the Ministry of Interior, has introduced a commemorative stamp to mark the 10th edition of the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

The festival is being held in Al-Sayahid, north of the Riyadh Region, in cooperation with the Camel Club and will run until Jan. 3.

The commemorative stamp will be available to travelers arriving at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, as well as at land ports in the Eastern Province.

The initiative “aims to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s cultural identity and highlight the camel’s status as a fundamental symbol of the Kingdom’s authentic heritage,” the SPA reported, adding that it is also part of the Ministry of Interior’s broader efforts to “document major national events and introduce them to visitors arriving in the Kingdom.”

“In a related initiative, Saudi Post, in collaboration with the General Entertainment Authority, issued a series of commemorative postage stamps in September,” the SPA noted. Those stamps were valued at SR3, along with a postcard valued at SR5, to coincide with celebrations marking the Kingdom’s 95th Saudi National Day under the slogan “Our Pride Is in Our Nature.”

That initiative “commemorated the unification of the Kingdom and its founding by King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, transforming the nation’s history into a narrative of pride, belonging and loyalty, while celebrating the occasion,” the SPA wrote.

The first commemorative postage stamp issued in Saudi Arabia was in the early 1930s. It marked the appointment of Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as crown prince.

Saudi postage stamps are “distinguished by built-in security features that prevent counterfeiting, ensure authenticity and protect institutional and intellectual property rights,” the SPA reported.