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Culinary Arts Commission to Launch Spectacular Saudi Feast Food Festival November 23

A veiled woman prepares traditional Saudi food during the Klaija Heritage and Culture Festival at Buraydah near Riyadh. (REUTERS/Fahad Shadeed)
A veiled woman prepares traditional Saudi food during the Klaija Heritage and Culture Festival at Buraydah near Riyadh. (REUTERS/Fahad Shadeed)
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Culinary Arts Commission to Launch Spectacular Saudi Feast Food Festival November 23

A veiled woman prepares traditional Saudi food during the Klaija Heritage and Culture Festival at Buraydah near Riyadh. (REUTERS/Fahad Shadeed)
A veiled woman prepares traditional Saudi food during the Klaija Heritage and Culture Festival at Buraydah near Riyadh. (REUTERS/Fahad Shadeed)

The Culinary Arts Commission will launch its third annual Saudi Feast Food Festival from November 23 to December 2 at King Saud University in Riyadh. The event promises to be a grand celebration of the Kingdom's vast and deep-rooted culinary heritage.
The festival will highlight traditional Saudi dishes and culinary arts to local, regional, and global audiences. Attendees can expect to immerse themselves in unique gastronomic experiences, tasting traditional foods in a unique setting. The festival also will highlight emerging opportunities in the Saudi food industry and discuss the sustainability of such ventures, SPA reported.
The festival boasts an array of diverse activities spanning across 13 distinct zones. Highlights include a section dedicated to the profound culinary heritage, giving visitors a taste of traditional cooking arts. For the younger crowd, there is a children's zone and an engaging interactive farm packed with educational activities that sharpen both sensory and cognitive abilities, all while reflecting the ethos of the festival.
The event caters to culinary professionals and enthusiasts with a dedicated business hub. This space facilitates networking and hosts insightful discussion sessions spearheaded by global industry leaders, aiming to foster job opportunities in the Kingdom's burgeoning culinary scene.
The festival features an Olive Showcase, where visitors can dive deep into everything about olives -- from understanding the tree itself to appreciating its fruit. Here, attendees can explore the unique relationship olives share with Saudi culture, taste various olive varieties, and shop for assorted olive products. The festival also offers a shopping arena where visitors can find unique items from local brands and boutiques. An entertainment corner further enriches the experience, encompassing a mix of live music, instrumental shows, and dynamic performances.
The Republic of Greece is set to display its rich culinary traditions at the festival, highlighting the commission’s goal to introduce a blend of local and international cuisines in the festival. Visitors can delve into a range of dining experiences, with diverse restaurants offering unique dishes. There are also hands-on cooking workshops led by culinary experts, promoting top institutions in the food world. For those seeking an upscale dining experience, there is an exclusive dinner area that serves a blend of the finest Saudi and international dishes. Moreover, there is a live cooking competition spotlighting traditional Saudi recipes. Concluding the event will be the Gourmand Awards at the Business Theater, celebrating the best in global culinary content.
The Saudi Feast Food Festival is a vibrant platform designed to celebrate and exhibit the vast culinary traditions of Saudi Arabia. Organized by the Culinary Arts Commission, this event emphasizes the cultural and historical significance of Saudi cuisine. It provides a unique opportunity for Saudi chefs to exhibit their culinary masterpieces and skills. More than just a food festival, it is an educational experience for the community, drawing international and local chefs, food industry experts, farmers, and enthusiasts. This gathering offers a blend of learning, business, and investment prospects in the world of gastronomy.
The festival seeks to foster a community of food connoisseurs by organizing the most significant event of its kind across the Middle East. It underscores the commitment of Saudi Arabia, championed by the Ministry of Culture, to celebrate food as a cherished part of its national heritage. It also motivates the country's youth who have a passion for culinary arts to evolve their interests into thriving businesses.

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Green Arabian Peninsula Project Continues to Uncover Insights into Ancient Human Settlements in Saudi Arabia

The project’s results yielded valuable discoveries on the presence of humans in the region for thousands of years (SPA).
The project’s results yielded valuable discoveries on the presence of humans in the region for thousands of years (SPA).
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Green Arabian Peninsula Project Continues to Uncover Insights into Ancient Human Settlements in Saudi Arabia

The project’s results yielded valuable discoveries on the presence of humans in the region for thousands of years (SPA).
The project’s results yielded valuable discoveries on the presence of humans in the region for thousands of years (SPA).

The Green Arabian Peninsula Project, which was launched in 2010, continues its efforts to study the impact of successive climatic changes on the Arabian Peninsula over the ages. This research has led to significant discoveries about human presence in the region over thousands of years.
Dr. Ajab Al-Otaibi, Director of Archaeological Research and Documentation at the Saudi Heritage Authority, reported that the project has completed 12 seasons, with the latest finding being evidence of 170 stone structures in northern Saudi Arabia.
Al-Otaibi highlighted that the project successfully documents numerous archaeological sites each season, shedding light on the study of environmental and biological diversity and human origins in Saudi Arabia.
In a press conference held by the Heritage Authority in Riyadh, he explained that the project examines the climatic changes that have affected the Arabian Peninsula and involves collaborative scientific efforts between the Heritage Authority, local and international universities, as well as volunteers and graduate students who contribute to fieldwork.
Al-Otaibi noted that the project is focused on studying environmental changes in the Arabian Peninsula, including ancient paleontology, past climates, early human behavior, and animal species. It aims to establish a documented chronological sequence for the region, which helps in understanding the evolution of life and culture over hundreds of thousands of years.
In parallel with fieldwork, the project also emphasizes scientific publication through international peer-reviewed journals and local scientific outlets, he stated.

The Director of Archaeological Research and Documentation at the Authority revealed that the project has successfully discovered fossils of various animal species, as well as the remains of the oldest human known to have lived in the Arabian Peninsula around 85,000 years ago. The findings provide multiple evidence of human presence in the region over millennia, enhancing the understanding of human migrations and how societies adapted to climatic changes. The discoveries also indicate that the Arabian Peninsula was green during several periods in history, challenging the conventional view of the area as a barren and dry desert.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Sharekh, the supervisor of the Green Arabian Peninsula Project, stated that the project seeks to document early human presence in the Arabian Peninsula across different historical periods.
He pointed to the ability of human communities in this region to adapt to their surrounding conditions, explaining that they constructed structures to meet their daily needs.
Al-Sharekh added that recent focus on rectangular stone structures, with around 170 such sites studied in northern Saudi Arabia, indicates that these communities were in a phase of exploration and movement. However, due to environmental and climatic conditions, permanent settlement was not feasible, especially in the later periods, he remarked.