T e Ardha is the national male sword dance in which the performers, typically Bedouin
tribesmen, display their dexterity with the blade to the accompaniment of Saudi folk music
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THE LARGEST MUSEUM IN SAUDI ARABIA IS THE NATIONAL MUSEUM IN RIYADH, WHICH OPENED TO THE PUBLIC IN 1999
CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS The most famous cultural event in Saudi Arabia is the Jenadriyah Heritage & Cultural Festival, which has been organised in an area called Jenadriyah just outside Riyadh every year since 1985 by the Saudi National Guard. More than a million people visit the festival each year and enrich their knowledge and appreciation of the traditions, culture and crafts of the nation. Visitors can also take a stroll through history at other times of the year, thanks to the heritage village, which resides permanently in Jenadriyah. A traditional camel race opens
the festival and artisans display their prowess in displays of pottery, woodwork, weaving and other traditional skills. Blacksmiths can be seen smelting iron and hammering out traditional swords and daggers while other metalsmiths create traditional brass and copper coffee pots. Potters have their corner, shaping earthen pots and pitchers out of
lumps of clay using traditional foot-powered wheels, while tailors hand-sew cloaks and basket weavers shape harvested palm fronds into beautiful wicker work. Traditional music and dance
are also prominent elements of the festival. Expert performers of the Ardha, the national male sword dance, captivate audiences with their dexterity in wielding the sharp weapons while Saudi folk music, shaped and infl uenced by the nomadic Bedouins and the travelling pilgrims, is also a highlight. Another festival must-see is poetry, which is considered to be
one of the highest expressions of literary art in Saudi Arabia and has traditionally been passed down from the days of the Bedouin. At Jenadriyah, as wordsmiths knit the mellifl uous Arabic language together in tales of love, bravery, chivalry and war amid a setting reminiscent of a bygone era, the sands of time fl ow backwards and it is the era of the Bedouin once more. The extension of hospitality,
for instance, is one of the pillars of Arab culture and is on display with every visit to the kingdom. The tradition is widely upheld even today and is something that every Saudi continues to offer to strangers, friends and family. The preparation of coffee is a wholly cultural tradition and Saudi coffee is infused with cardamom and other spices such as saffron that impart a golden colour to the brew along with a sweet and aromatic taste. The coffee is traditionally served in small cups and is accompanied by fresh dates and sweets. Saudis also burn incense
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as a gesture of hospitality to welcome guests – a practice that is still widely seen in homes and establishments today.
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