LuLu’s Saudi Mango Festival has turned the golden spotlight on the sweet varieties of mango grown in Saudi Arabia. Twenty-four local varieties of Saudi mango will take pride of place in the aisles of the Festival at all the Lulu Hypermarket outlets across Saudi Arabia. The LuLu Saudi Mango Festival 2024 was inaugurated simultaneously at three Lulu Hypermarkets across the Kingdom: in Atyaf Mall, Riyadh by Eng. Muhammad Al-Abdullatif, the Assistant Undersecretary for Agricultural Facilities and Supportive Services and M. Suleiman bin Saleh Al-Jutaili, the Director General of the General Administration of Marketing and Agricultural Associations; in LuLu Al-Ruwais, Jeddah, the inauguration was presided over The Director General of the branch of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture in the Makkah Al-Mukarramah region, Engineer Majid bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa, and his deputy, Engineer Walid Al-Daghis; and in Dammam’s Al-Shatea Al-Sharqi District LuLu Hypermarket,, where the Festival was organised in co-operation with the Alrowia Cooperative Society for Agricultural Marketing, it was inaugurated by the General Manager of the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture Branch in the Eastern Region, Engineer Fahd bin Ahmed Al-Hamzi at the Dammam. The Festival is part of a long-term programme to promote Saudi agricultural products and support Saudi farmers. It will run till 7 May and presents shoppers with an opportunity to bite into the juicy goodness of Saudi mango such as Mango Sudani, Baladi (Kabeer, Koora and Zibta varieties), Zill, Thoomi, Keeth, Selastion, Shila, Zibta Ahler and many other types. There will also be popular varieties from other countries which were painstakingly grafted and cultivated in Saudi soil, like the Langra, the Thai and Indian varieties, some South American and African mangoes etc. The Saudi Mango Festival 2024 will present its juicy harvest in many celebrated forms, ripe and raw, cooked and lightly salted or dusted with complementary spices. There will be desserts, curries, pickles and smoothies. Besides mangoes ripe and raw, there will also be promotions galore and treats in the Lulu Hot Food and Cold Food section with items such as mango fish curry, mango chicken curry, stuffed chicken breasts traditional treats like Aamras and puri bread and healthy moothies. “I am very pleased to inaugurate the Lulu ‘Mango Mania’ Festival this year. The Saudi mango has seen a bumper harvest this year and LuLu has highlighted this delicious fact,” said Eng. Muhammad Al-Abdullatif, the Assistant Undersecretary for Agricultural Facilities and Supportive Services, “We will keep innovating in our Saudi agricultural arena and hope to have many varieties of popular fruit and vegetables for the healthy-alert and taste-conscious Saudi shopper through LuLu.” “Lulu Hypermarket is once again pleased to bring the goodness and deliciousness of mango to Saudi Arabia fans and promote the 24 Saudi varieties especially,” said Shehim Mohammed, “Full of vitamins, fibre and taste, this is a great summer fruit and this promotion is a great way to applaud the efforts and success of Saudi farmers. We wish all our shoppers happy mango tasting!” Also present at the Riyadh inauguration were Dr. Ibrahim Al-Turki, Eng.Nayef Al-Masoudi, Director of Agricultural Projects at the Council of Associations, and Jordanian Minister of Agriculture, Eng. Khaled Hanifat. The accompanying delegation in Jeddah consisted of the Assistant Director General for Technical Affairs, Dr. Abdul-Mane bin Issa Al-Khaibari, Director of the Agriculture Department at the Ministry’s branch in Mecca, Eng. Muhammad bin Ali Al-Shehri, Director of the Office of the Minister of Environment in Jeddah Governorate, Eng. Ahmed bin Al-Harithi, and his deputy, Reem bint Ahmed Bahamdeen, attended.