Taif summer fest wows enthusiasts

The Taif summer festival 2013 was inaugurated by Gov. Fahd bin Abdul Aziz, in the presence of more than 70,000 visitors. It is being held under the patronage of Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal.
The festival is organized by Taif governorate, Taif Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Taif Tourism Committee in coordination with the Arab Tourism Organization.
The opening included sound and effects presentation, laser show, aerobatics, sand painting and folk performances and Royal Guard show.
The event includes food festival, honey festival, folklore programs, entertainment, cultural, traditional and tourism activities in parks and malls in Taif.
The activities will extend to include Ramadan evenings and Eid Al-Fitr celebrations.
Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Mukhrij, mayor of Taif and deputy chief of the Taif Tourism Committee, welcomed the guests. He said that the festival will add a page in the history of tourism in Taif.
“Through this festival we are seeking to consolidate and strengthen the status of Taif on the tourism map locally and globally,” he said.
Chairman of the Arab Tourism Organization Bandar bin Fahd said they are expecting a huge turnout of visitors than last year and it will create lots of job in the tourism industry.
He said that security and stability is a fundamental pillar for the development of tourism, and the joint Arab cooperation is the basis for this success in terms of safety, security, stability and prosperity.
“We in the Arab Tourism Organization, including the Arab tourism strategy, help in achieving 60 percent more tourists,” he said.