JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia expanded its cultural reach with a major contemporary arts and heritage exhibition in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. The Saudi House exhibition, organized by the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee in cooperation with the General Authority for Culture, will run until Aug. 30. Visitors to Saudi House have been promised “a unique cultural experience transferred by Saudi people, who know their heritage well. Dr. Abdullah Al-Suhaim, dean of agriculture and veterinary medicine, said the palm tree pavilion was a favorite with visitors, introducing locals to the cultural and economic status of the palm tree in Saudi Arabia. A booth offering dates for tasting was especially popular. The Saudi kitchen pavilion showcased dishes from across the Kingdom, introducing Indonesians to a variety of Saudi flavors. Meanwhile, Saudi provinces’ fashion heritage going back seven decades was on show at a special pavilion. Susan Baaqil, the pavilion’s supervisor, said visitors were interested in trying on the Saudi shemagh, headband and bisht. A pavilion of Arabic calligraphy drew the attention of many visitors with its rich cultural heritage reflecting Saudi Arabia’s sophistication and pride in Arab Islamic civilization. The pavilion’s paintings reflect the beauty of Arabic calligraphy, calligrapher Abdul Aziz Al-Naghmoush said. Visitors are also introduuced to Arabic scripts, such as Diwani, Thuluth, Ruq’ah and Naskh. A photography section, supervised by Abdul Rahman Al-Barih and artist Ahd Hussain, highlighted images captured by Saudi photographers that showed the Kingdom’s beauty.