RIYADH — LuLu, the region’s largest hypermarket chain well-renowned for highlighting country festivals throughout the year, launched its annual food festival “World Food” across its stores in Saudi Arabia. The festival was inaugurated in Central Province by Eng. Mansour Al Shethri, deputy chairman of Riyadh Chamber, in Eastern Province by Waleed Yosif Al Dosary, labor office inspector, and in Western Province by Mazin Khalid Gasim Kutbi, asst. secretary-general Jeddah Chamber. A celebration of flavors and culture, the two-week festival brings together foodies, families and friends in a gastronomic experience of global cuisines from more than 25 countries with over 100 live cooking competitions at all major hypermarkets, around 20 live performances from celebrity chefs and personalities, and massive in-store product offers. Shehim Mohammed, director of LuLu Saudi Hypermarkets, said: “We have been doing this festival for over 10 years now, but this is the biggest by far. With our strong partnership with various embassies, community groups, influencers, and food and tourism industry stakeholders, we are proud to unite different nationalities through a common thread, which is food. Our goal is to make shopping more experiential and engaging for our diverse customers and this food festival helped us organise targeted events and competitions.” The World Food 2020 is divided into many themes, such as Akla Arabia featuring Arabic delights, Olives & salads, Organic Fest, Pagkaing Pinoy for Filipino classics, desserts, barbecue treats and so much more, targeting different nationalities and communities. Alongside the food themes, a host of different cooking competitions is being organized not just for homemakers, but also exclusive for males and kids. Apart from the food-themed festivals and competitions, LuLu introduces new contest themes that will gather food enthusiasts from a different niche, such as Cake Challenge, the search for the best-tasting and beautifully designed pastries, Cook with Mom, a cooking competition with little ones. With 188 stores operating worldwide, LuLu has been continuously exerting its greatest efforts to provide and sustain the supply of global products at the best rates. With the excellent combination of high-quality offerings and organized logistics system, LuLu remains to be the favorite shopping destination in Saudi Arabia when it comes to a broader selection of international products. — SG