Cairo: More than 15 years after hitting the airwaves, Saudi TV Al Sahraa, dedicated to folk heritage, has said it will stop soon.
“Adieu. After 15 years of serving heritage, Al Sahraa will bid you farewell in... days,” the station said in a brief tweet. The reason for halting broad-casting is not clear yet.
Owned by Meshal bin Hethlain, Al Sahraa was launched in 2007 in the Saudi capital Riyadh, focusing on the folk heritage of the kingdom and other Gulf countries.
The station gained popularity with its live broadcasting of heritage-themed events and poetry recitals.
The station’s decision to get off the air has come as a piece of sad news for its viewers.
“Sad news: Closing a channel such as Al Sahraa, which has offered a lot to the folk heritage over several years,” tweeted Wadian Fahmi.
Camel festival
The commentator said he would miss the station’s in-depth coverage of camel events and folk arts.
Poet Nasser Ghaleb described as a “loss”, the decision to discontinue Al Sahraa. “We won’t say goodbye. We say: See you,” he said.
Another commentator urged the channel staff to shift attention to social media instead. “The TV era has ended. Now, it’s the era of social media: Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc. Continue your work there. It’s better,” said Abdul Hadi Al Fahd.
Saudi Arabia annually hosts the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, the world’s such biggest pageant.
Camels are a popular animal closely linked to heritage in Saudi Arabia.
In recent years, the camel business has remarkably grown in the kingdom.
There are around 1.8 million camels with a market value of over SR50 billion in Saudi Arabia, according to official figures.
