Last Thursday, Umm Al-Qura University concluded the Cultures of Peoples Festival, which was held under the slogan: ‘All Countries Gather in Umm Al-Qura’, and organized by the Deanship of Student Affairs at the UQU branch in Al-Abdiyyah.

The four-day festival witnessed a high-level diplomatic attendance; it was attended by the ambassadors and consuls of 16 participating countries, represented by their students at the UQU. The participating countries were: Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Benin, Ghana, Nepal, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Afghanistan, Togo, Bangladesh, Comoros, India, Pakistan, Chad, Ivory Coast, and Yemen.

The festival program included 13 artistic theatrical performances and parades, the most notable of which were: a theatrical performance celebrating the story of Indonesia's independence, a show about the Moro warrior from the Philippines, another about the king's court session from Ghana, as well as traditional and folkloric parades and songs performed by the UQU students from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Pakistan, India, Comoros, and Yemen.

Moreover, festival shows were also held at the UQU Female Section in Al-Zahir neighborhood. These shows included 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 aimed to edify the female students of Umm Al-Qura University on the Saudi culture through the accompanying Saudi corners and exhibitions. The activities also aimed to identify the cultural diversity among various peoples, in addition to enjoying the visual presentations of the customs and traditions of these peoples and learning about their distinct traditional wedding costumes.

The festival witnessed a large turnout of UQU students and officials, on top of whom came Their Excellencies the Vice Dean for Educational Affairs, Dr. Ahmad bin Omar Babalghith, the Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Omar Sunbul, the Vice Dean, Dr. Yasir Al-Hazimi, and the academic staff members. All the attendees expressed their delight in being part of the festival, and lauded the cultural richness observed by the visitors.

According to the statement of the Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Omar Sunbul, the great success achieved by the festival in its first year prompted the organizers to hold another version of the festival the following year, over a longer period of time. Dr. Omar Sunbul underlined that the festival events were organized over four days with the participation of more than 250 students, representing more than 40 countries. The first day was dedicated to the culture of the East Asian region, the second day was dedicated to the culture of the South Asian region, and the third day was dedicated to the culture of Africa. The festival was concluded on the fourth day by introducing the cultures of the Arab world, Europe, and America.

Furthermore, he pointed out that the performances and shows celebrating various cultures were performed by the students of these countries who were studying at Umm Al-Qura University, both male and female students from the international and scholarship students, facilitating cultural exchanges. In addition, he stated that the main objective of the festival was to highlight the pivotal role shouldered by the KSA as a civilized cultural center open to different cultures, especially those of the Muslim countries.

On his part, 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 displayed the most important products of the countries, along with heritage tools, and popular fashion.

The festival witnessed daily folkloric parades to showcase the different cultures of the peoples participating in the academic hub of the UQU, as well as folkloric performances in the theater of the accompanying exhibition, highlighting different cultural heritages. It also launched a special corner under the title: "Live My Culture", which included a section depicting the popular costumes of the participating countries, in addition to a buffet of popular dishes from these countries.