Kunna Kida festival draws 100,000 visitors

The 3rd Jeddah heritage festival Kunna Kida (We were like this) attracted over 100,000 visitors from all parts of the Kingdom in the first three days, organizers said on Friday.

A source said the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage reported 25 percent of visitors at the festival were from areas outside of Jeddah.

“The festival had a great turnout. The organizing authority dedicated a lot of time and effort into making the festival one of the most visited in the Kingdom. The festival is currently in its third year. Every year, new aspects of Historical Jeddah are revealed and new traditions are discovered,” said the source.

The source also said the organizers focused on improving mobility in the festival.

“The biggest complaint from visitors during past festivals was that Historical Jeddah became overcrowded during peak hours when all of the events and shows start.

The organizers designated tracks at this year’s festival in order to maintain order and prevent people from stepping over each other or bumping into each other,” said the source while adding each track led to a different area of Historical Jeddah.

“The festival is not all about the shows and performances by musicians and artists showcasing the Hejazi heritage. It is also about historical artifacts, Hejazi food and the names of people who contributed to the heritage,” said the source.

Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishal Bin Majed inaugurated the festival on Wednesday with the participation of more than 800 government and private organizations. The festival will last for 10 days.

The festival aims at highlighting the culture and traditions of the country and the significance of Jeddah. Several poets and novelists will participate in the festival this year and will address the history of the city.

Special location is dedicated to shops that sell traditional handcrafts, while youth can also enjoy special events designed for them.

The event will also have tour guides introducing visitors to different historic areas and provide them with historic information about the location.

“Since the festival is going to stay open for several days, we had to have a comprehensive emergency plan. The Civil Defense officers are dispersed in every corner of the festival and are fully trained and ready to handle crises and emergencies,” said Ahmad Al-Ghamdi, Civil Defense representative at the festival.

He also said the Civil Defense team is ready to deal with any emergencies through its firefighter, ambulance and evacuation teams.