JEDDAH, Sep 10 ( Arab News): A number of Arab countries are joining the City of Jeddah in its Eid Al-Fitr celebrations beginning Friday, according to Sami Nawwar, who is in charge of tourism and culture at the Jeddah municipality.
“The city’s Eid celebrations are for everyone, Muslim or not,” he added.
Nawwar said the Nasif House, the Quosiyyah Ein and the old mosque would all be open to the public for the holiday.
Member of the Saudi Culture and Arts Society Badr Mahfouz told Arab News that a number of Muslim communities living in Jeddah used to join the city in its Eid celebrations.
“Over the past few years we have seen folklore troupes coming to join our celebrations,” said Mahfouz. He added that the most prominent of these troupes were the Sudanese and the Yemenis, which are large communities in the city.
Mahfouz said gala nights and theatrical shows in which prominent movie, television and theater personalities from Egypt and GCC countries will participate will be held in Jeddah during the Eid holiday. He also said the Eid festivities will include performances by acrobat troupes from a number of countries.
Meanwhile, the Society of Residential Districts has prepared 16 locations for the Eid celebrations in various parts of Jeddah.
“Our program for celebrations is aimed at spreading tolerance among the residents of the city beginning with the members of the same family and going up until the entire residents of Jeddah,” said the organization’s chairman Hassan Al-Zahrani.
The IT department in the municipality has launched a website at Jeddah Electronic Gate containing articles on how Eid was celebrated in Jeddah in the past. The site also contains information about picnic places, diving sites and photo locations.
The municipality will organize a photo and video contest titled “Residents of Jeddah During Eid”. The best picture showing how the streets and houses of Jeddah were decorated for Eid will win prizes. The photos can also show how the residents of the city celebrate Eid. The pictures should be original and the video clips should not be more than 10 minutes.