JEDDAH: Indonesia will be the “guest of honor” country this year at the 33rd Janadriyah festival, the Saudi celebration of heritage and culture, the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh said on Tuesday.
King Salman will patronize the opening ceremony of the festival on Dec. 31. The annual festival is organized by the Ministry of National Guard and is held with an accompanying grand camel race, which is a major attraction.
Minister of the National Guard Prince Khalid bin Abdul Aziz bin Ayyaf, who is also the chairman of the festival’s supreme committee, thanked King Salman for his patronage of the festival in the village of Janadriyah on the northern outskirts of Riyadh.
Prince Khalid said that as in previous years, the 18-day long festival will include many activities including lectures, seminars, and various cultural events for visitors to enjoy.
Aiming to expand its global outreach and find cultural synergies with countries with rich culture and civilization, the Saudi government started inviting a foreign country as the “guest of honor” every year
India was the guest last year, while Egypt was the country honored at Janadriyah 31.
