Thirty-four sessions
The National Festival for Heritage and Culture, known as Janadriyah, was launched in Riyadh in 1985 and is one of the oldest festivals in the Kingdom. Its first 34 sessions were organised by the National Guard, now the Ministry of National Guard, at Janadriyah village on the north-eastern outskirts of the capital.
The festival opens with a camel race, followed by folk performances and handicraft exhibitions. Its permanent site holds a theatre, exhibition halls, pavilions and model buildings representing the Kingdom's cities.
A new custodian
The 33rd edition opened on 20 December 2018 under the slogan Faithfulness and Loyalty, attended by senior representatives of Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE and Oman. Over three decades the festival drew leaders, officials and intellectuals from many countries.
In July 2019 the Ministry of Culture took over the festival from the Ministry of National Guard. It announced plans to broaden the festival's cultural content and to offer programmes reflecting the depth of the national heritage.