Hayya Jeddah set to attract 1.5m tourists

The annual shopping festival, Hayya Jeddah, was formally inaugurated on Monday by Hani Abu Ras, mayor of Jeddah, on behalf of Jeddah Gov. Prince Meshal bin Majed. A number of prominent officials from the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), the General Authority for Tourism and Antiquities and the Jeddah Municipality attended the ceremony, which took place at Park Hyatt hotel.
Held under the patronage of Jeddah Governor Prince Meshal bin Majed, the second Hayya Jeddah festival, will run until Feb. 7, promoting the bride of the Red Sea as a premier touristic destination for Saudis and Arabs alike. The festival is expected to attract 1.5 million visitors from within the Kingdom and neighboring Gulf countries.
Saleh Kamel, the president of JCCI welcomed Hani Abu Ras, as well as the other attending officials, dignitaries and guests. In his opening statement, Saleh emphasized the importance of tourism as a vital economic engine for the city and revealed that Jeddah can accommodate more than four million tourists a year.
“We should pay closer attention to tourism, as our religion urges us to travel and explore the world. This is the second Hayya Jeddah festival, which in itself is proof of its success,” Saleh added.
Abu Ras conveyed his best wishes to the Governor of Jeddah Prince Meshal bin Majed, the members of JCCI and the Tourism Development Council — the partners of the festival.
Highlighting the importance of such festivals for the national economy, Abu Ras said, “Jeddah is considered a pioneer in organizing festivals and we look forward to a successful season and greater accomplishments in the coming years.”
“Jeddah spring festival is important for enhancing the local retail and entertainment sectors, as well as invigorating domestic tourism. Jeddah municipality is fully supportive of this initiative and will continue to cooperate with the public and private sectors to increase domestic tourism and economic activities,” Abu Ras added.
Jeddah municipality is organizing a youth festival, this Friday, with a wide array of different outdoor activities, such as a skate boarding competition, graffiti and photography contests and friendly football matches.
In addition, around 35 activities will take place across six different malls in Jeddah, including Mall of Arabia, Red Sea Mall, Haifa Mall, Tahliya Mall, Serafi Mega Mall and Jeddah Exhibition Center. The program will incorporate a wide array of different types of cultural, traditional and entertainment activities, ranging from henna painting, children’s contest, fireworks, electronic games and artistic performances.
“In the first festival we had one million visitors. This year we expect a lot more visitors, due to the fortunate weather and the timely opening of the renovated Corniche site,” said Mazen bin Mohammed Batterjee, the vice chairman of JCCI.
Batterjee also added that this festival would be a great opportunity for favorable investments in Jeddah, as the city is a commercial hub.
Moreover, on the occasion many gifts will be distributed, including six cars and more than 20,000 other gifts that will be given out every day at different locations, Batterjee told the media.
“Jeddah municipality, along with the Ministry of Health and the Jeddah traffic department are cooperating together to ensure this festival runs smoothly and successfully,” he said.
He also conveyed his appreciation for the continuous support of Governor of Makkah Prince Khaled Al-Faisal and Governor of Jeddah Prince Meshal bin Majed.