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Whistlestop tour of Riyadh Season art and culture exhibition

Sunday November 14 2021
Riyadh Season

Opening night of the Riyadh Season on October 20. It runs till March next year. FILE PHOTO | COURTESY

By ERICK ODUOR

Riyadh Season is held at a time the Gulf region is switching from summer to winter, ushering in a fascinating offering to entertain guests keen on catching a mix of Arabian and international culture.

The festival brings out the best in music, movie, wrestling, safari, football, culture and hospitality to promote cross-cultural interaction among the young and those seeking entertainment and rejuvenation.

The General Entertainment Authority — the events’ organiser — posits that the Fourth Edition of Riyadh Season that commenced October 20, has exceeded expectations, by the tickets registered so far.

“We have 14 events to offer people as varied an experience as possible,” said Ahmad Ali Almehmadi, the Authority’s chief marketing and communications officer.

Staged at the Courtyard where King Abdul Aziz, the founder of modern Saudi society, concentration is on hospitality and history, displayed through the collection of museum artefacts in the kingdom.

International hotel brands, bring a taste of different cuisines to the table, with the world’s top chefs showcasing what they do best. The hotels bring to the Season, South American, Italian and Japanese delicacies, for the international traveller.

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The epitome of the festival is next month when football stars led by Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and League 1 champions PSG land in Riyadh to showcase their talent.

Football manager Arsene Wenger is already prepping Al-Hilal SFC and Al-Nassr FC to face off with the PSG stars.

The art and culture exhibition, which runs to March next year, is divided into 14 seasons, with up to 7,500 events lined up for revellers in the biggest economy in Middle East. The seasons include, desert safari, food, wrestling and movies.

The expo is a slice of the kingdom’s transformational agenda dubbed Vision 2030 that is primed to open more opportunities away from its petro-dollar economy.

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