The cultures of 40 countries gathered at the first Cultures of Peoples Festival, which was inaugurated on Monday morning and will continue until Thursday, under the slogan of ‘All Countries Gather in Umm Al-Qura’. The event is organized by the Deanship of Student Affairs, with the participation of more than 250 male and female students from Umm Al-Qura University.

The opening ceremony of the festival, which is the first of its kind, was witnessed by the Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Omar Sunbul, the Vice Dean, Dr. Yasir Al-Hazimi, and the Indonesian Consul, along with the Sri Lankan Ambassador and Consul, members of the diplomatic corps of a number of participating countries, and the university students.

During the opening ceremony, the audience witnessed a theatrical performance from Indonesia, which involved a number of students telling the story of Indonesia's independence, along with a procession of the participating students.

The Deanship of Student Affairs, according to the Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Omar Sunbul, dedicated the first day to the culture of the East Asian region. The second day will be dedicated to the culture of the South Asian region, and Wednesday will be dedicated to the culture of Africa. The festival will conclude on Thursday by introducing the cultures of the Arab world, Europe and America.

The Vice Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Yasir Al-Hazimi, explained that the festival program included an exhibition containing more than 20 corners, highlighting the culture of each people. The exhibition also showcases the most important products of the countries, along with heritage tools, and popular fashion.

The festival will witness daily folkloric parades to showcase the cultures of the peoples participating in the academic hub of the university, as well as folkloric performances in the theater of the accompanying exhibition, highlighting different cultural heritages.

The festival launched a special corner known as "Live My Culture", which includes a section depicting the popular costumes of the participating countries, in addition to a buffet of popular dishes from these countries.

The shows are not limited to the male students, but extend to the female students at the women's university branch in Al-Zahir neighborhood, in the Holy City of Makkah. The UQU Vice President for Female Students Affairs, Dr. Sarah Al-Khuli, inaugurated the activities, which include several introductory segments on the culture and customs of peoples as well as an accompanying exhibition, under the supervision of the Vice Dean for Female Student Affairs, Dr. Nahlaa Hariri.

According to Dr. Nahlaa, the women's activities aim to educate the female students of Umm Al-Qura University about the Saudi culture through the Saudi accompanying corners and exhibition. The women's activities also aim to identify cultural diversity among peoples, in addition to visual presentations of their customs and traditions.