By Khaled Saleh
Al-Fadhli
Okaz
The solution proposed below achieves cultural, economic and humanitarian goals and an array of formulas to create a paradigm shift in the rigid convictions that the Saudi society has some specific opposite views to specific practices on their own territory. According to official statistics, there are more than ten million non-Saudis in the country in addition to two million who are either temporary visitors or are here for Umrah reasons.
In line with the 2030 Vision for softening and expanding of the hearts to welcome and receive others and their cultures, in addition to breaking life’s daily routine as well as building new markets and economies, building bridges between the Saudi people and other populations and between the Saudi Chambers of Commerce and global chambers of commerce as well as the Saudi government and world governments. Saudi Arabia is currently closer to establishing and launching festivals for communities.
The idea is to invite foreign communities (through coordination with the embassies) to determine the time and place for the establishment of cultural and economic festivals moving between Saudi cities as windows for the meeting of people and exchanging heritage and light and medium industries that help individuals, especially Saudis, to get closer to communities that live in the country.
This proposal comes after Saudi Arabia was ranked low as part of the UN report of human development on the worst conditions to embrace expatriate workers and integrate them into the local society. Foreign communities find difficulty in communicating and integrating with Saudi individuals and families and the culture.
To achieve integrated results for this proposal, festivals must resemble a piece of the expatriate worker’s land that has been transferred to Saudi Arabia. (for example: if the festival is for the Indian community, it becomes like a festival in India with full details, separated from the Saudi city) with some rationing light, not heavy distortion.
We as Saudis (from the middle class or less) need this more than the community itself, to live with the festival and understand part of the culture and economics of the peoples who live among us as working people, but we do not know their worlds, heritage, arts, in addition to the need for the community to know that we respect their homeland and their lifestyles here and there.
Saudi markets need to discover new products in Eastern countries, and the southern hemisphere, and as a reaction, communities will flow to local festivals.
Parallel to that, our respecting heritage of our gradually growing future generations when they discover the wide gap between us and other nations in terms of appreciating their heritage in national promotion and good citizenship, the more infused roots in the ground are difficult to uproot.
My imagination takes me to be in every city where land spaces are allocated and administrative entity is interested in building a culture of tents and shopping communities so that these become a tourist alternative to reduce the annual spending bill that sends Saudis in distant homes.
Festivals can improve the image of Saudi Arabia as a country and as a people easy to integrate with and have authentic culture to accept the other. Saudi Arabia as a country is achieving the best environments for the communities living locally and also a cultural response Saudi Arabia will be invited to establish festivals in communities’ countries.
This makes from expats loyal residents with a sense of belonging inherent to all the work done by the cultivation of the street to the construction of skyscrapers, and is aware that he or she is in a country that respects its culture, and his and her own, while we Saudis will search for tools to serve our heritage, good citizenship, and pride always that Saudi Arabia is important and above the clouds.
