TIA
DAMMAM (KSA): A group of Indian expatriates in Dammam and Alkhobar have organized a cultural programme at sprawling King Fahd Amusement Park here on October 22. The purpose of festival is to celebrate India’s diverse and rich culture.
The organizers have named it ‘India Day celebrations’ and it is open to all Indians.
The group, led by Mirza Zaheer Baig and T.P.M. Fazal, both longtime Eastern Province residents, has planned to showcase the colorful traditions of India.
“We are calling it India Day celebrations and it is open to all Indians — men, women and children,” they said at a press conference on Sunday.
Indians in Dammam, Alkhobar and Jubail feel that their compatriots in Riyadh and Jeddah are in a better position because of the presence of Indian missions in those cities. “Sometimes we feel left out and that is why we have formed an Indian association whose primary objective is to cement ties between Indians from different states and between India and Saudi Arabia through civil society interaction,” said Baig.
The organizers are hoping to entertain more than 5,000 Indians who are expected to turn up at the extravaganza. Cultural Secretary Hifzur Rahman is likely to represent the Indian Embassy at the festival.
“A Keralite may not know anything about the Gujarati Indian and a Gujarati Indian may not know anything about an Indian from Hyderabad. Our idea is to share, care and celebrate,” said Baig.
Saudi Arabia is home to two million Indians, of which nearly 800,000 reside and work in the Eastern Province cities of Dammam, Alkhobar and Jubail.
