Diplomatist Magazine Diplomatist August 2018 | Page 19

‘SAUDI KA DOST BHARAT’
Middle East Meets South Asia
T
he Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, located
in the Arabian Peninsula, is the centre
of power and prosperity in the Middle
East. The country has been termed as the
‘birthplace of Islam’ and the land of the ‘Two
Holy Mosques’, the Al-Masjid al-Haram in
Mecca and the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina.
The country of Saudi Arabia is unique in its
existence as the place offers dancing sand
deserts, towering buildings, leading business
co-operations and is noticeably home to the
fi nest oil industry. However, an even more
fascinating event in Saudi Arabia takes place
when the whole country and its citizens gear
up for the annual cultural festival - the Al-
Janadryiah.
Al- Janadriyah, earlier known as ‘Rowdhat
Souwais’, is an idea conceived by the founder
of Saudi Arabia, King Ibn Saud as a venture to
celebrate Saudi culture, history and traditions.
It was inaugurated in 1985 by the late King
Fahad Ibn Abdul Aziz, and the event takes place
in Janadriyah, 42 km northeast from the capital
city of Riyadh, every year around the time of
February or March, representing a crossroad
for poetry, culture, history and heritage. The
village of Janadriyah, covering an area of 1.5
sq. km of land, was supposedly built only to
cater to the purpose of hosting this festival and
making it the greatest of its kind in the Gulf
area. The event is organised and sponsored by
the Saudi National Guard and is a two-week
cultural festival of living history, military air
shows, and all things Saudi. The event is also
embraced by the Ministry of Education, the
Ministry of Agriculture, Saudi Tourism and
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 6 • Issue 8 • August 2018, Noida • 19
Honourable External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visit
to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for Janadriyah Festival.