Al-Janadriyah Festival

Al-Janadriyah Festival is the National Festival for Heritage and Culture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and its beginnings go back to 1405 AH, corresponding to 1985. It recorded a distinguished annual presence in the Kingdom and became one of the most important cultural occasions in the fields of culture, heritage and the arts, attended by political leaders, senior officials, thinkers and writers from various countries of the world.[1]

The idea of the festival began with the issuance of the Royal Order in 1405 AH/1985 during the reign of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz, and it was a seed planted by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and nurtured until it grew and bore fruit, producing various kinds of authentic Arab culture and heritage displayed in an integrated village.[1]

The Minister of the National Guard chaired the Supreme Committee of the National Festival for Heritage and Culture, and a press conference held before each edition announced the preparations, the participation of the guest-of-honour country, the cultural programme and its themes, in addition to the heritage activities hosted by the Heritage Village at Al-Janadriyah.[3]

The press conference held before the launch of the thirty-second edition reviewed the festival's preparations and its cultural and heritage programmes.[3]

A Cabinet decision approved the transfer of the tasks related to holding and organising the events of the National Festival for Heritage and Culture from the Ministry of the National Guard to the Ministry of Culture.[1] The Minister of Culture, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, valued the decision and thanked the Ministry of the National Guard for what it had provided over the past decades at the festival.[1]

The transfer was implemented under Cabinet Decision No. 645, and the Ministry of Culture had set November 2020 as the date for the first edition of the festival to be administered by it.[2] The Ministry prepared a vision to develop the cultural content of the next edition, comprising diverse events, programmes and activities that reflect the depth of the national heritage, under a three-year improvement strategy for the festival, and it invested in developing and improving the infrastructure in terms of structures, designs and facilities to align the site with the cultural vision.[2]

The Ministry of Culture announced the postponement of the festival from November 2020 to the first quarter of 2021, out of concern for the safety of its visitors and in implementation of the state's precautionary measures to prevent the novel coronavirus.[2]

The festival's editions enjoyed the patronage of the leadership; King Salman bin Abdulaziz patronised the opening ceremony of "Al-Janadriyah 31" and the Grand Camel Race, organised by the Ministry of the National Guard at Al-Janadriyah, and attended by the Emir of the State of Kuwait, the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, a number of senior officials and the festival's guests.[4]

King Salman bin Abdulaziz patronised the launch of the National Festival for Heritage and Culture in its thirtieth edition in 1437 AH/2016, organised by the Ministry of the National Guard at Al-Janadriyah, and attended by the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the personal representative of the Emir of the State of Qatar, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the United Arab Emirates, the Kuwaiti Minister of Information and the Omani Minister of Sports Affairs.[5]

In 1435 AH/2014, Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, then Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, patronised on behalf of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz the launch of the twenty-ninth annual National Festival for Heritage and Culture at Al-Janadriyah, organised by the Ministry of the National Guard.[6]

The Heritage Village at Al-Janadriyah hosts the heritage of the Kingdom from all its regions; in the thirty-third edition the festival received its visitors on the grounds of the Heritage Village with the participation of a number of Gulf Cooperation Council states and many Arab and international countries, and the guest of honour, the Republic of Indonesia.[7] The festival continued for 21 days, with the gates open from eleven in the morning until eleven at night, and days dedicated to families.[7]

The Republic of Turkey was the first country invited to participate in the festival's cultural activities; the Presidency of the National Guard discussed with its ambassador its participation in the twenty-third edition in 1428 AH/2007, and a committee was formed from the National Guard and the Ministry of Culture and Information to coordinate the cultural and heritage aspects.[8]

The festival attracted large numbers of visitors; the number of visitors to its twenty-eighth edition reached one million male and female visitors in a single day, and their entry was organised and their movement facilitated by more than 5,000 military personnel from the ranks and officers of the National Guard through the three Al-Janadriyah gates (the main, western and southern), with 20 electric carts allocated to transport the elderly, and wristbands distributed to children bearing the child's name and the guardian's mobile number.[9]

In the thirty-first edition, the gates of the Heritage Village received 650,000 male and female visitors in a single day, the highest number since the launch of the edition, amid services provided by the Ministry of the National Guard represented in the festival administration and its committees.[10] The events of the 31st edition extended over sixteen days experienced by six million 790 thousand male and female visitors, through the heritage villages and houses that represented the regions and governorates of the Kingdom, with the participation of the Arab Republic of Egypt as the festival's guest of honour, the pavilions of the Gulf Cooperation Council states and 45 government exhibitions, more than 500 participants in the folkloric bands, and more than 300 male and female artisans of handicrafts.[11]

The King Abdulaziz Foundation (Darah) followed up on documenting professions and handicrafts; represented by its documentation team, it met the craftsmen and craftswomen participating in "Al-Janadriyah 28" with the aim of documenting information on these professions, narrating their history from their beginnings to the present day, and monitoring the social, cultural and economic aspects of those working in them.[12]

Q: When did the events of Al-Janadriyah Festival begin? A: Its beginnings go back to 1405 AH, corresponding to 1985, when the Royal Order for its establishment was issued during the reign of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz.[1]

Q: Who organises Al-Janadriyah Festival? A: The Ministry of the National Guard organised it over the past decades, then the task of holding and organising it was transferred to the Ministry of Culture under Cabinet Decision No. 645.[1][2]

Q: Which countries participated as guests of honour in the festival? A: The Republic of Turkey was the first country invited to participate culturally in the 23rd edition in 1428 AH/2007, the Arab Republic of Egypt was the guest of honour of the 31st edition, and the Republic of Indonesia was the guest of honour of the 33rd edition.[7][8][11]

Q: How many visitors did the festival receive? A: It received one million male and female visitors in a single day within the 28th edition, 650,000 male and female visitors in a day within the 31st edition, and the 31st edition in full was experienced by six million 790 thousand male and female visitors.[9][10][11]

Q: How long did the events of the thirty-third edition last? A: They lasted 21 days, with the gates open from eleven in the morning until eleven at night, and days dedicated to families.[7]

Over its editions, Al-Janadriyah Festival brought together the various kinds of national culture and heritage and presented them to visitors in the Heritage Village alongside the pavilions of participating countries and the exhibitions of government agencies.[7][11] Related topics on the platform include Al-Sadu, Saudi Ardah, Falconry, Arabic Coffee, Riyadh Season, Riyadh City and At-Turaif District.