‘Hayya Jeddah’ festival expected to attract more than 1m visitors

Hayya Jeddah, the city’s annual shopping festival, kicked off at Red Sea Mall on Friday under the patronage of Gov. of Jeddah, Prince Misha’al bin Majed.
The festival, which is organized by Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) with the cooperation of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), is expected to attract more than one million visitors from around the Kingdom and the Gulf region.
During the inauguration of the festival, Mohammed M. Al Saaed, organizing manager of the festival, said that the prizes for this year’s Spring Shopping Festival will exceed SR2 million, with 1,200 awards including 10 luxury cars.
“We have big discounts on products and many surprises in store for visitors. Last year visitors spent almost SR15 million, while this year organizers expect SR75 million to be spent during the festival,” he added.
Al Saaed stressed that Hayya Jeddah is the Kingdom’s largest festival in terms of discounts, prizes, and gifts. He said the main aim of the festival is to enhance Jeddah’s status as the major tourist destination in the region.
Meanwhile, Adnan Hassan Mandoura, secretary-general of JCCI, extended his appreciation to Prince Misha’al bin Majed and Prince Khalid Al Faisal, the minister of education, for their support in boosting domestic tourism.
“We also warmly welcome Prince Misha’al bin Abdullah in his new post as governor of Makkah and are pleased to launch this festival, which represents a milestone in promoting domestic tourism and economic growth,” the organizing manager said.
He pointed out that Jeddah is a popular and historically rich city, with a variety of entertainment activities, cultural sites and commercial centers. The city, he added, is the gateway to the holy cities, a business hub, a city of festivals and exhibitions, representing a rare combination of attractions.
Mohammed Abdullah Al Amrai, director general of the SCTA Makkah branch, asserted that Hayya Jeddah in its third season has witnessed unprecedented success and is the main festival for the spring vacation.
In his turn, Mohammed Alwai, CEO of Red Sea Mall, welcomed the guests and organizers of the festivals and expressed his pleasure to be hosting the opening of the festival.