Historic Jeddah Festival opens with fanfare

January 16, 2015

Jeddah, Jan 16: Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Majed, chairman of the Tourism Development Council, opened the second Historic Jeddah Festival here Wednesday, which will feature 89 heritage, recreational, cultural and marketing events.

Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), was also present. After the opening ceremony, Prince Mishaal and Prince Sultan toured the festival venue. “The festival is aimed at making people aware of their invaluable heritage and to help preserve it,” Prince Mishaal said.

The prince said the festival would contribute to the promotion of historical Jeddah projects because the old city has been listed as a World Heritage Site by the United bNations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He said the festival is being held under the slogan, Your Sun Shines.

He pointed out that the historic district has many distinctive features, especially its development projects. He hoped that it would be a memorable and successful event and praised the organizers for helping to set it up.

The events this year include art programs and forums. There would also be shopping from the Nada Souk, passing along Al-Kabeer Souk and ending at Qabil Street. Visitors can benefit from discount sales, draws and gifts offered, he said. Visitors can also view 20 handicraft products and 20 folk dishes that were popular in ancient times.

The opening event featured an operetta called Your Sun Shines performed by 100 folk artists. The operetta portrayed the social life of Jeddah residents of the past based on mutual support and cooperation, how later generations drifted away from the ways of their forefathers, and then how the sun started shining again over Jeddah with its heritage achievements under UNESCO.

The organizing committee expects over 1 million visitors. Those who spoke at the opening function included Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Saleh Kamel, Jeddah Mayor Hani Abu Ras and SCTA Director General in Makkah Muhammad Al-Omri.

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23 Israel-linked terrorists killed, 46 captured by Iran army

News Network

November 15,2024

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has killed or captured 69 terrorists linked to the Israeli spy agency Mossad during a major counterterrorism drill in the country's southeast, its spokesman says.

General Ahmad Shafaei, the spokesman for the “Martyrs of Security” drill, said Friday that a total of 23 terrorists have been killed and another 46 arrested in various clean-up operations ever since the IRGC Ground Force launched it in the Sistan and Baluchestan province on November 1.

Seven terrorists have also turned themselves in during the period.

“The undeniable fact about terrorists is that they rely on arrogant powers, particularly the intelligence service of the wicked and vicious Zionist regime," Shafaei said.

“Unfortunately, weapons and munitions at terrorists’ disposal are among the most sophisticated ones in the world. This accounts for their heavy dependence.”

The official stated that several members of the disbanded terror teams were non-Iranian nationals, who had been hired by foreign intelligence agencies to carry out acts of sabotage and terror inside Iran.

In a most recent operation, six terrorists were arrested and four others were eliminated, three of whom were non-Iranians, he added.

On October 26, ten members of Iran's law enforcement forces were killed in a terrorist attack in the Gohar Kuh district of Taftan in the Sistan and Baluchestan province.

The so-called Jaish al-Adl terrorist group claimed responsibility for the assault, which was one of the deadliest in the province in recent months.

The group has carried out numerous terrorist attacks in Iran, primarily in Sistan and Baluchestan.

Its tactics include the abduction of border guards as well as targeting civilians and police stations within the province to incite chaos and disorder.

In January, Iran launched a military operation during which the headquarters of the Pakistan-based terrorist group was targeted in missile strikes, destroying its infrastructure.

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