JEDDAH: A night devoted to Bangladeshi culture attracted a sell-out crowd of more than 12,000 people to Jeddah’s Prince Majed Park on Friday, organizers said.
The evening began at 6 p.m. with a 60-minute DJ set and the entertainment continued until 12.15 a.m., featuring a number of shows, folk dancing displays and musical performances. The singers included Saleem and his band, Imran Khan and his band, Ishrat, and Jasmin Putul.
Putul told Arab News she was very grateful to the Saudi government, King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for providing this cultural platform for Bangladeshis during Jeddah Season. She thanked the authorities on behalf of all the talents who performed at the event.
Sattam Mannaa, the park’s media coordinator, confirmed that more than 12,000 had turned up to enjoy the Bangladeshi entertainment and cultural events. Some people reportedly were seen queuing outside the park, unable to get in because all the tickets had been handed out.
Visitor Mustafa Khan, a journalist from Pakistan, said the event was very good, adding: “I am very thankful to the Saudi government and authorities for providing us with this opportunity to get together and share cultures and views. We hope such events will continue in the future as well.
“And we really love (the Kingdom) the same as our own country. We love it from the bottom of our hearts. Saudi Arabia is the home of Islam. We love Saudi Arabia and always will.”
Mohammed Firoz, a Bangladeshi journalist, told Arab News that the Saudi government provides great opportunities for people from other countries who live in the Kingdom to showcase their national cultures and traditions.
“Every one today enjoyed Bangladeshi culture,” he said. “These people also enjoyed the (previous) Pakistani, Indian and Indonesian cultural programs. They will also enjoy the forthcoming Philippines cultural events. In fact, these are very successful events.”
Prince Majed Park is one of nine zones hosting events during the 2022 Jeddah Season, and the activities there are aimed at families in particular. The entertainment in the 84,000-square-meter park includes live shows, a special children’s play area, shops, a horror house experience, as well as the weekly nights focusing on the cultures of other nations.
At least 12,000 people visit the park, free of charge, every day, organizers said, but the number has exceeded 20,000 on some weekend days.
Across all its zones, this year’s Jeddah Season has attracted more than two million visitors so far, officials said, including thousands of international tourists.