Bangladesh culture, heritage showcased at Saudi festival
Folk performances, cuisine, handicrafts enthrall thousands of visitors at Riyadh Season
Cairo: Bangladesh's diverse culture took the centre stage of a major entertainment and tourist festival in Riyadh over the past days.
The "Bangladesh Days", held as part of Riyadh Season, wrapped up Saturday night at the Seweidi Parki in the Saudi capital after four days of colourful events that attracted many attendees, Saudi media reported.
Held amid a festive and joyous atmosphere, the events, which kicked off on Tuesday, featured folk performances and gave visitors the opportunity to taste the popular Bengali cuisine, and get familiarised with the traditional clothes and handicrafts that reflected the diversity of its culture and heritage.
The events sought to provide an integrated experience to visitors of different ages and nationalities, who interacted with the various activities and learnt firsthand about the rich traditions of Bangladesh.
Saudi Arabia has recently launched an initiative to promote links with a large community of expatriates it hosts. Titled "Global Harmony,” the initiative aims to shed light on the lives of expats in the kingdom, including career and family aspects, their social and recreational activities, contribution to Saudi economy, and success stories.
Undertaken by the Saudi Ministry of Media, the initiative also aims to highlight the diversity of expats' cultures, and their integration into Saudi society.
Through a partnership between the Ministry of Media and the General Entertainment Authority, the organiser of Riyadh Season, a series of cultural events are planned in the current edition of the annual festival that opened last month.
These events focus on cultures of India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Pakistan, Yemen, Sudan, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Bangladesh and Egypt.