2019 is about to begin so how about you plan your year with the festivals and events you must attend this year. Saudi Arabia is one of the countries where there are very few celebrations & holiday to have fun, but one thing is very important about Saudi Arabia and that is that it culturally very rich and has a lot of traditional & customs that they still follow. Their main holidays are Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha. These two holidays come from the Islamic calendar and every Muslim across the globe celebrates them. Usually, during this time Muslims also plan for Umrah tour. They look for Umrah holiday packages and make a booking in advance to have a wonderful and peaceful stay.
Among these holidays they also have the Kingdom Day that celebrates the anniversary of the foundation day of Saudi Arabia in 1932.
Here are the top Festivals that you shouldn’t miss this 2019.
King Abdul Aziz Camel Festival
This is the first festival of the year 2019, the biggest camel festival. It is the King Abdul Aziz Camel Festival of Riyadh that goes on for a month and is hosted every year. In this event, more than 1200 camels and their owners participate all coming from different Gulf countries. The aim of this event is to keep the new generation connected to their roots and the traditions. You will experience a blend of cultural mix & entertainment in this event. This is a competition of camel beauty & the camel race where the prize amount to a worth of 25 million pounds. It will begin from 1st February 2019 to 1st February 2019. You can book the dates now.
Janadriyah National Festival
This is a one-week cultural fest that happens in the month of February. Janadriyah National Festival is one of the most vibrant and lively non-religious fests whose prime focus is on the rich heritage of the country. It is categorised in the Art & Culture Type of Events. This event is sponsored by the Saudi National Guard. It started way back in 1985 hosting events like camel-racing, arts & crafts, falconry dance (Ardah & Mizmar) and the military show. Each province will have its own team showcasing their specialities and exclusiveness. There is plenty of food with a variety of cuisine from the Arab Peninsula. You will have a gala time at this event. This year it will be hosted from 7th February 2019 to 14th February 2019. Make your booking now.
Jeddah Summer Festival
Jeddah Summer Fest is quite popular and an important event of the year for Jeddah & Saudi Arabia. It exhibits great art & various cultural events of the year. It begins around Ramadan and this year it will start around 25th June 2019 and will around 20th July 2019. There are many activities like water polo, beach soccer, car racing, and a lot of entertainment for the children that come from the villages. All visitors get to taste the different delicacies of Saudi & own the beautiful handicrafts made by their artisans. This fest first began in 2000 to increase tourism and it has more than 200 events hosted here. You can make your bookings to get the best.
Eid-ul-Fitr
Eid-ul-Fitr comes at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. It is celebrated with a lot of joy and pureness. It is the perfect time where you find amazing Umrah Holiday Packages from various tour operator. This is a 3-day festival that starts with the morning prayers and mouthwatering food items to be shared with family & friends. Across Saudi, the way of celebrating will vary but hospitality & the love the Saudis have is seen everywhere. This is a festival is spreading smiles and joys even to strangers. You must visit this time to see the beauty and purity. You can get the dates from the Islamic Calendar.
Kingdom Day
Kingdom day is the only non-religious holiday of Saudi Arabia. It is celebrated on 23rd September as the founding Anniversary in 1932. Patriots come out on the roads with the flag singing songs & honking horns showing their joy. Every road & government building is decorated. You will see flags everywhere and people wear traditional dresses on this day. Where some celebrate with music and joy others prefer to have a silent celebration at home.
Souk Okaz
Souk Okaz an open-air market is located exactly where it began in the pre-Islamic era. Now a tourist destination was earlier an important centre where the Arabs from every tribe would meet to resolve disputes, make final decisions and announcements. They organize for competition in poetry and many sports to stay connected to the culture of Saudi Arabia. They also have seminars & lectures where you are educated about the vast culture of the Souk and competitions held in poetry winners get prizes worth lakhs. It is an Art & craft type of fest that you should definitely visit. The date is yet to be announced but this is a 17 days fest.
Eid-ul-Adha
Eid-ul-Adha is another religious festival celebrated by the Muslims across the globe. This day is known to celebrate the Prophet Ibrahim’s dedication towards Allah by willing to sacrifice his son Prophet Ismail upon the Almighty’s command. Seeing his dedication & faithfulness Allah sent Ram to for the sacrifice instead of his son. This day is celebrated as the day of sacrifice and is a 3-day festival. Muslims spend their time praying to Allah & sacrificing an animal. This one of the most important festivals in Saudi Arabia and you should definitely experience it. You can also choose to pick the best holiday Umrah packages from UK right now before you miss out on the best deals.
Closing Note
There are many more festivals that you can see in Saudi Arabia but these are the best and you definitely experience it once in a lifetime. If you are wanting to plan your trip then you must shortlist some Umrah Packages from UK, this is the best time to get your deals. As the year is closing you will find some great deals to pick from.
SB - Mzahid Travel Ltd.