Tourism & Hospitality | Wednesday 25 February, 2015 12:50 am |

The Royal Commission in Yanbu intends to expand its annual flower festival adding innovative programs to make the event more attractive and entertaining to visitors including expats, said Saleh bin Abdullah Al-Zahrani, director of the Landscaping and Irrigation Department at the commission.

Speaking to Arab News, he said the size of the flower carpet, one of the festival’s major attractions, would be further increased to cover 22,000 square meters next year. “Last year, its size was 10,000 square meters and it won the Guinness record. This year its size has been increased by 12,000 square meters and we still maintain the record,” Al-Zahrani said.
Thousands of people including expatriate workers and their families visit the colorful festival, which offers them a marvelous visual treat. Visitors spend as much time as possible among the different types of flowers and gardens. The festival ends on March 1.

Encouraging the public, especially Yanbu residents, to establish home gardens was one of the festival’s main objectives, Al-Zahrani said. “We have signed contracts to establish gardens at more than 600 Royal Commission villas in Yanbu. This is a major achievement,” he pointed out.
Al-Zahrani said many prominent personalities including princes and government officials have visited the festival this year. “We are happy and proud that Saudi Aramco’s President and CEO Khalid Al-Falih spent nearly one hour touring the festival and expressed his amazement about the show.”


Apart from the photo of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman made of 1.2 million flowers, this year’s event includes an international garden area with 60,000 flowers, he said, adding that there are Japanese, Chinese and European gardens.
The festival is the brainchild of Alaa bin Abdullah Naseef, CEO of Royal Commission in Yanbu. “He is the one who gives us ideas, encouragement, and all the necessary support. He makes the impossible possible for us,” Al-Zahrani said.

A welcome wall with the word “welcome” written in 63 languages has been established for the first time in front of the main gate. “By setting up this wall we tell all foreigners in their languages that they are most welcome,” he said, adding that the wall has created amazing response. “I have seen many people taking photos standing in front of this wall.”
Al-Zahrani said the wall would be kept as a monument in front of the Royal Commission.
Saudis and expats have praised the festival’s organizers. Jasmine Abdul Rahman, an Indian woman, said she was visiting such a huge flower show for the first time in her life. “This is the second most amazing thing I have seen in Saudi Arabia after Madain Saleh archeological sites,” she told Arab News. Jasmine visited the show by joining a trip organized by the Indian Media Forum.