Preparations underway to launch Souq Okaz on Wednesday

JEDDAH: Intensive preparations are in full swing to ready all sites, services and other facilities at Souq Okaz in Taif for the official launch this Wednesday.
The 11th season of the festival will be under the sponsorship of King Salman, and supervised by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH).
The location is busy with teams working to build and prepare various sites of the souq including the theater, Souq Okaz Avenue, Culture Avenue, shows and events sites, and supporting services areas, among others.
There are more than 30 sites equipped to host the shows and different events within tents, stone and wood facilities, in addition to Prince Khaled Al-Faisal Theater, the open stadium for popular art, auctions and souvenir shops.
The souq will also have shops for craftsmen, restaurants, a media center and a mini-horse racing track.
Earlier, Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of the SCTH and head of the supervisory committee of Souq Okaz, said the festival this year will witness more than 100 functions, in addition to contests and tourist journeys.
The events will include a number of historical and cultural functions including Arabic and early Islamic poetry recitations, theater performances, market presentations, language challenges, sports shows, horse and camel shows, handicrafts, and light and sound presentations, he said.