A French Flavor To Al Janadriya

Every year at the Al Janadriya festival, a country is chosen to be the guest of honor. This year, that honor has been bestowed upon France and the French Minister of Culture and Communication, Frédéric Mitterrand, delivered a speech at the Al Janadriya opening ceremony.

The French exhibition is proving to be a popular part of Al Janadriya. There are Parisian styled cafes where visitors can embrace the ‘cafe culture’ for which France is famed. Jugglers, mime artists and other performers have been taking center stage against a backdrop of a replicated Parisian street, much to the delight of the crowds who have been flocking to the French section. Other cultural highlights include an area displaying French traditional clothing and famous French art from the iconic Louvre museum. Business also plays a part of the French exhibition with companies like Carrefour and Renault taking part.

The Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry are also part of the exhibition. As the umbrella organization of the 25 in kingdom Chamber of Commerce, the Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry main objective is to represent their comment interests on a local and international level.

According to Yasser A Alqahtani, Executive Director of Foreign Affairs at the Council for Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, France is an important relationship for Saudi Arabia in terms of economic and trade. He added that he has been impressed by the level of interest shown by visitors towards French companies who have a presence in Saudi Arabia.