DESERT X AL ULA 2020

RIGHT BEFORE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC GRIPPED THE WORLD, DESERT X AL ULA WOWED PATRONS AS AN INTERACTIVE ART EXHIBITION DURING THE WINTER AT TANTORA FESTIVAL IN EARLY 2020.  

SET AMIDST AL ULA'S UNUSUAL ANCIENT LANDSCAPE OF HUMONGOUS SANDSTONE ROCK FORMATIONS AND POWDERY BEIGE SANDS, THE ART INSTALLATIONS OF DESERT X WELCOMED VISITORS TO PLAY AND REVEL WITH ART AND NATURE.

A big Thank You to my friend, tour guide Mohammed at Najran Tours, for allowing me to showcase these photos for today's post.  Visit him on Instagram - @NajranTours  and on FACEBOOK.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EXHIBIT AND THE ARTISTIC GENIUSES BEHIND THE CREATIONS, CLICK HERE.  

ENJOYED THIS POST? 

SIGN UP FOR FUTURE POSTS DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR EMAIL BOX.

LINKING TO - SKYWATCH

THANKFUL THURSDAY

 

THE WEEKEND ROUNDUP - LETTER "P"

STARTS WITH "P' - "PARROT FISH," WE CAUGHT IN THE RED SEA

A FAVORITE - "PERFUME" AISLE AT THE FIVE RIYAL STORE.

I LOVE HOW THE GUY IS SNIFFING HIS WRIST

"PURPLE" - PERFORMANCE AT WINTER AT TANTORA FESTIVAL

IN AL ULA, SAUDI ARABIA, MARCH 2020

LINKING TO - THE WEEKEND ROUNDUP

FRIDAY BLISS

 

Jeddah City People

City Daily Photo is an online community of photo bloggers that share images of life in their cities around the world.  The first of every month is Theme Day  for City Daily Photo bloggers.  This month's theme is "City People."  I chose this photo from January 2016 which I took during the Jeddah Historic Festival that took place in the oldest part of the city called Al Balad.  It features a local Saudi woman who painted children's faces for the festival, much like festivals I have been to in other places around the world. I feel it shows that we are all human and that people here in Saudi Arabia are similar to people everywhere.

Be sure  to visit the City Daily Photo portal to view other participants' entries for today's theme day.  

Janadriyah Pics from 2014

Janadriyah is an annual cultural heritage festival celebrating the regions, history, arts, and culture of Saudi Arabia.  It is held in an area on the outskirts of Riyadh for a period of several weeks during the winter months, with many permanent structures and buildings just for the festival. I've been able to attend the festival twice and I hope I can again in the future.

I love photos like the top one that shows how friendly and happy Saudi women are.  I think many people have the wrong idea about what Saudi women are really like. I find them to be warm and kind, welcoming and gracious, intelligent and motivated, creative and talented.  I could actually go on and on, as more words keep coming to me to describe them, but you get the idea.   

The gold coin face veil I am holding up in the bottom photo is worn for special occasions, like festivals or weddings.  And it jingles!

Thanks to my firend and fellow blogger Laura/Blue Abaya for taking the photos in this post. 

If you are interested in seeing a slideshow of lovely scenes from the Janadriyah Festival, just click on the box below.

Janadriyah 2013 from Susie Khalil

Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Our World - La Cantine Al Ula

This is the entrance to the French Restaurant La Cantine in Al Ula.  Its unusual setting is amongst ancient sandstone rock formations. The floor is sand.  

High end outdoor furniture welcomes guests. There is mood lighting in the evenings that accents the rock walls and greenery brings life to the surroundings.

It's actually quite an intimate setting and the acoustics are phenomenal.  The lounge area is accented with bright red pillows where parties can relax for drinks or dessert after a meal.

The gourmet French menu offers salmon, beef, lamb, and a nice variety of other delectable dishes.  Our lunch was truly scrumptious.

Several restaurants set in the sandstone rocks are featured during the Winter at Tantora Festival, which ran from mid-December until the first weekend in March.  It is an amazing effort that I hope you will be able to experience one day.

Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Tantora's "Persian Nights" #MusicWithoutBorders

The Winter at Tantora Festival in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia, featured world class artists and entertainers from around the globe, including Andrea Bocelli, Kool and the Gang, Yanni, Enrique Iglesias, Lionel Richey, Il Divo, Jose Carreras, and more!

The concert on the evening I attended was a historic event called "Persian Nights," which highlighted four different fantastic musical groups featuring popular older Persian singers, all but one of whom were in their 60s and 70s, proving that they've still got what it takes to bring the house down.

There were even female musicians in the bands and one female Persian singer, Leila Forouhar. While these popular vocalists are banned from performing in their own country of Iran, their talents were celebrated at the Winter at Tantora Festival in Saudi Arabia

Inside the beautiful Miraya Concert Hall, a state of the art facility built just over a year ago, the laser lights flashed and flickered, changing colors with the beat of the music - and history was made in Saudi Arabia as the country welcomed these beloved Iranian performers to the stage.

Al Ula Winter at Tantora Festival Ends Today

The city of Al Ula's Winter at Tantora Festival is an amazing event rich in history, culture, music, art, and pure magic. Today the festival draws to a close until next year. I was able to attend one of the final days of the festival, climaxing with a concert event at the gorgeous Miraya Concert Hall.  The walkway leading to Miraya was flanked by about a dozen handsome Arabian knights on horseback.  I cannot describe it any other way than magical. The concert was called "Persian Nights."  Four different musical groups featured beloved Persian singing stars who entertained the festival audience during the evening.

Stay tuned for more to come about this year's Winter at Tantora Festival. 

Saudi Arabia - Yanbu Flower Festival Still Going On

We aren't going to the Yanbu Flower Festival this year, but I just wanted to remind everyone that it's still going on now through the end of March.  If you have never been before, it's definitely worth attending.  It's a very well organized event, and every year they change it up a bit.

The splashes of color all over are a happy treat for the soul.  Admission is free for everyone. Food and drinks are available for purchase, as well as souvenirs and gardening supplies.  Hotel prices in Yanbu are reasonable and there are many places to stay, even on the more crowded weekends.  There are only two weekends left - don't miss it. 

Yanbu Flowers Festival 2019 Scheduled

As usual, the dates for the 2019 annual Yanbu Flowers Festival are still murky at this point, but the event should be coming up soon.  The General Authority for Entertainment has put out the festival dates as running from Tuesday, March 14th through Saturday, April 8th, however other sites have differing information, starting as early as February 28 and ending March 30.  If I am able to confirm either way, I will let you know. 

The festival is free for all attendees and there are many nice places to stay in Yanbu.  Event timings are 4-11pm daily.  If you love flowers, you won't want to miss this colorful spectacle.  You can see my posts for lots more photos from some of the recent years festivals at these links:  Yanbu FF 2018 and Yanbu FF 2016.

A big "Thanks" to my friend and amazing photographer Abdullah Yahya for allowing me to share this beautiful photo for today's post from last years Flower Festival.  Stay tuned for more fantastic pics from around Saudi Arabia taken by Abdullah.  Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @ayaa1977

SkyWatch - Al Ula, Saudi Arabia

This past week I have featured posts from my magical weekend trip to Al Ula where I attended the unforgettable first ever Winter at Tantora Festival.  The festival has attracted performers and visitors from the world over and has kicked off Saudi Arabia's offical entry into the world of tourism with a bang.  From the world class concerts to the mystical terrain, to the historical significance of the area, to the warmth of the local people, Al Ula is one of the world's few relatively obscure gems.

Incredible sandstone rock formations are the geographical features that dominate this area of northwestern Saudi Arabia and inspired the ancient Nabataean civilzation to turn many of the huge rocks into carved tombs.  My friend Laura of the amazing blog Blue Abaya has written a fabulous comprehensive guide and history of Madain Saleh with lots of fantastic photos - CLICK HERE to access it.

The natural beauty of the area is stunningly breathtaking.  As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this area is primed to become one of the most popular tourist detinations in Saudi Arabia, after the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, which attract millions of religious tourists every year.

Madein Saleh has been closed to the public in preparation for tourism, but it was opened temporarily for the visitors of the Winter at Tantora Festival, which is running for ten weekends through Feb, 23.  This historical site of Nabataean tombs will then be closed again until sometime next year.

This last photo is of Rainbow Rock and my friend and fellow blogger Laura who writes the blog Blue Abaya.  She has explored more places in Saudi Arabia than anyone else I know.  Her videos and photos of this kingdom are truly spectacular.  You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @BlueAbaya

To  visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH  where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.

Walking to the Flower Festival

This typical Saudi family was on their way from the parking lot into the Yanbu Flower Festival.  The just over three week event was attended by an estimated one million people this year and was held in March.  The world's record for the largest flower carpet was broken by this year's amazing floral displays.  To see my photos on my post of the beautiful festival,  CLICK HERE.

Our World: Yanbu Flower Festival

These are two of my favorite photos from this year's Yanbu Flowers and Gardens Festival. It's a colorful floral extravaganza that will be ending on March 25th.  Hours are 4-11pm daily.  If you haven't been yet, this weekend is your last chance!

Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

SkyWatch: Yanbu Flower Festival

Don't miss the final days of the Yanbu Flower Festival, which will end on March 25.  Fabulous floral gardens and lots of fun for the family.  Open daily 4-11pm.  For more photos and information about the festival, CLICK HERE.

To  visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH  where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.

Saudi Arabia Yanbu Flower Festival

Yanbu Flower Festival is going on now for another 10 days, ending on March 25th.  It's one of the best festivals in Saudi Arabia, well organized, well managed, and well run.  Open Daily from 4pm-11pm.  Lots of fun for everyone!  See more photos from this year's event by clicking HERE.