Citrus festival kicks off in Al-Ula

A vibrant array of citrus fruits welcomed locals and tourists alike at the first National Citrus Festival that kicked off in Al-Ula, Madinah region, on Saturday. Vistors got to savor different types of citrus fruits and familiarize with traditional techniques and methods used by local farmers in citrus production.
The event was held under the patronage of Madinah Gov. Prince Abdul Aziz bin Majed, who inaugrated it.
At the venue, Prince Abdul Aziz was received by Ahmed bin Nasser Al-Hussein, governor of Al-Ula; Mohammed Shiha, undersecretary for Agriculture Affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture; Saleh bin Abdullah, undersecretary of services of Madinah Province; Ibrahim Alhajeli, director of Ministry of Agriculture office in Madinah, and a number of other officials. After cutting the ribbon to mark the festival’s inauguration, Prince Abdul Aziz toured a number of stalls displaying various types of citrus fruits. He also viewed the corporate and productive families lounges, as well as the photo and art gallery.
On behalf of the region’s farmers, a speech was delivered by farmer Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Al-Qahtani, in which he offered thanks to the sponsor of the event.
In his speech, undersecretary for Agriculture Affairs of Agriculture Ministry Shiha highlighted the importance of citrus trees, its economic value, in addition to its medicinal and nutritional values.
The Madinah governor presented shields and souvenirs to participants of the festival, while he was presented with a commemorative gift.