Saudi Al-Soudah Festival Attracts over 12,000 Visitors Daily

In this August 22, 2019 photo, a Saudi woman poses for a picture as she wears a colorful flower crown native to the region during the al-Soudah festival in Abha, southwest Saudi Arabia. (AP)
In this August 22, 2019 photo, a Saudi woman poses for a picture as she wears a colorful flower crown native to the region during the al-Soudah festival in Abha, southwest Saudi Arabia. (AP)
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Saudi Al-Soudah Festival Attracts over 12,000 Visitors Daily

In this August 22, 2019 photo, a Saudi woman poses for a picture as she wears a colorful flower crown native to the region during the al-Soudah festival in Abha, southwest Saudi Arabia. (AP)
In this August 22, 2019 photo, a Saudi woman poses for a picture as she wears a colorful flower crown native to the region during the al-Soudah festival in Abha, southwest Saudi Arabia. (AP)

Atop a string of green mountains in Saudi Arabia, the monthlong al-Soudah festival drew a medley of yoga enthusiasts, extreme adventure seekers, tourists and traditional Saudi families — many wearing colorful flower crowns native to the region.

The festival, which ran throughout the month of August, gave visitors a chance to experience a unique region in Saudi Arabia and take part in outdoor sports like hiking, mountain biking, paragliding, horseback riding, zip lining and bungee jumping. Thousands also attended concerts by Middle Eastern superstars.

The festival attracted between 12,000 and 15,000 visitors per day, said Husameddin al-Madani, who oversaw the event. Most visitors to the festival were Saudi citizens, but it also drew foreign tourists.

The weather in August in the village of al-Soudah, located in the southwest Asir province, is a comfortable 22 degrees Celsius in August, unlike the capital, Riyadh, or the coastal city of Jeddah, where temperatures exceed 43 degrees Celsius throughout the summer. In the winter, parts of the mountain range see snow.

Al-Soudah sits on part of the Sarawat Mountain range in the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula, some 3,000 meters above sea level. Its highlands are covered in the green of juniper trees. The area is also home to baboons, who were kept away from the festival with help from Human Wildlife Solutions based in Cape Town, South Africa.

Jeddah city resident Noura al-Moammar said she was surprised by the region's climate.

"I never thought, honestly, that my country is that rich with nature," she said, according to The Associated Press. "It's amazing for us to discover and see the different cultures and landscapes and weather in our beautiful Saudi."

In the nearby village of Rijal Almaa, the men wore flower crowns, or garlands, made from local flowers and herbs. Visitors here were treated to garlands of their own, local tribal dances, coffee, tea and evening lightshows displayed on the village's 500-year-old distinct natural clay, stone and wood structures.

The festival also drew extreme sports enthusiasts, including wingsuit base jumpers. Saudi media reported that British adventurer and astronautical engineer Angelo Grubisic died during a jump off the side of a cliff at the festival when he experienced difficulties reaching the landing site at speeds of around 160 kilometers (100 miles) per hour.

"Coming from America, there's obviously a lot of misconceptions ... but I'm here to show and prove it's nothing but incredible ... I hope everybody gets a chance to visit this place one day," said Paris Verra, a 24-year-old American visitor.

So serene was the vibe at the festival that Alwaleed al-Keaid, who runs a Saudi hiking company, led morning mediations atop the mountain.

"We start our mornings with a mediation session in this gorgeous environment where we thank God for this blessing and meditate," he said. "When we're done, we try the local bread with honey... and help people enjoy nature, forget about the rest of the world and live in the moment."

The festival also had its share of glitz and glamour with concerts by Middle Eastern mega stars, including Emirati singer Ahlam and Iraqi singer Kazem al-Saher. Their performances drew thousands of fans and al-Saher's concert alone generated 1.5 million Saudi riyals ($400,000) in ticket sales, festival organizers said.

The al-Soudah festival is one of 11 taking place in different parts of the country this year. The initiative, dubbed Saudi Seasons, is aimed at developing tourism and providing Saudis with temporary and permanent jobs.

Al-Madani, the CEO of the al-Soudah festival, said at least 515 young men and women were hired from the local community to assist in the monthlong event. Local businesses also got a boost by contributing to food trucks and other services.



Remains of 5,000-year-old Noblewoman Found in Peru Dig

An ancient artifact found in a recently discovered burial site at the Aspero archaeological complex, belonging to the Caral civilization, during a press presentation at the Ministry of Culture in Lima on April 24, 2025. ERNESTO BENAVIDES / AFP
An ancient artifact found in a recently discovered burial site at the Aspero archaeological complex, belonging to the Caral civilization, during a press presentation at the Ministry of Culture in Lima on April 24, 2025. ERNESTO BENAVIDES / AFP
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Remains of 5,000-year-old Noblewoman Found in Peru Dig

An ancient artifact found in a recently discovered burial site at the Aspero archaeological complex, belonging to the Caral civilization, during a press presentation at the Ministry of Culture in Lima on April 24, 2025. ERNESTO BENAVIDES / AFP
An ancient artifact found in a recently discovered burial site at the Aspero archaeological complex, belonging to the Caral civilization, during a press presentation at the Ministry of Culture in Lima on April 24, 2025. ERNESTO BENAVIDES / AFP

Archaeologists in Peru said Thursday they found the 5,000-year-old remains of a noblewoman at the sacred city of Caral, revealing the important role played by women in the oldest center of civilization in the Americas.

"What has been discovered corresponds to a woman who apparently had elevated status, an elite woman," archaeologist David Palomino told AFP.

The mummy was found in Aspero, a sacred site within the city of Caral that was a garbage dump for over 30 years until becoming an archaeological site in the 1990s.

Palomino said the carefully preserved remains, dating to 3,000 years BC, contained skin, part of the nails and hair and was wrapped in a shroud made of several layers of fabric and a mantle of macaw feathers.

Macaws are colorful birds that belong to the parrot family.

The woman's funerary trousseau, which was presented to reporters at the culture ministry, included a toucan's beak, a stone bowl and a straw basket.

Preliminary analyses indicate that the remains found in December belong to a woman between 20 and 35 years old who was 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall, and wearing a headdress that represented her elevated social status.

Palomino told reporters the find showed that while "it was generally thought that rulers were men, or that they had more prominent roles in society" women had "played a very important role in the Caral civilization."

Caral society developed between 3000 and 1800 BC, around the same time as other great cultures in Mesopotamia, Egypt and China.

The city is situated in the fertile Supe valley, around 180 kilometers (113 miles) north of Lima and 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Pacific Ocean.

It was declared a UN World Heritage Site in 2009.