RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is a cradle of civilization and Islam’s birthplace, said Dya-Eddin Said Bamakhrama, Djibouti’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, during his visit to this year’s Janadriyah festival. “Saudi Arabia has a great economic and historic edge given its rich past,” he said. The ambassador toured several heritage villages, including those of Al-Kharj, Al-Ghat and Jazan, as well as pavilions set up by government agencies, including the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). In a statement to the SPA, Bamakhrama praised the efforts of the Saudi government in preserving national heritage and remaining up to date with the world’s latest technological advantages. He also praised the cohesion and harmony reflected in the festival through activities and programs that reconcile the past with the present. “I am happy with what has been achieved through the participation of young men and women,” he said. “The Kingdom has taken active measures to ensure an increasing number of local and international visitors year after year. The festival will surely enjoy wider cultural participation and that will help build bridges with other civilizations.” The festival embraced the future with virtual reality (VR) providing education, entertainment and training for visitors. Many visitors said that VR technology was being widely used in education and training and that its deployment was likely to increase in the future. Earlier, the Indonesian envoy thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for choosing Indonesia as the guest of honor country. He said that this participation would further enhance the relations between both countries. The festival reflects the leadership’s care for the history of the Kingdom and its keenness to introduce information on Islamic civilization to the world and shed light on folk arts, culture and heritage. Since it was first held in 1985, the festival has offered a variety of activities and programs, including the establishment of a heritage village that presents the cultural history of all provinces in the Kingdom, and includes a commercial market and exhibitions of objects and tools used by Saudis in the past.