Sky Diving

You’re in a perfectly good aeroplane. It’s not on fire and you don’t have to bail out – but you do...

Saudi Arabia may not be the first place you would think of for recreational aero-sports, but for the past few years the Kingdom has been encouraging private individuals to take up such hobbies as paragliding, paramotoring and radio controlled model aircraft flying, as well as sky diving and the flying of light aircraft.

It is overseen by the Saudi Aviation Club which was established in 2000 as an independent not-for-profit entity to promote aeronautical science within the Kingdom and to encourage the practice of personal, recreational and sports aviation activities to the highest possible standards.

 

SAC also offers skydiving training for the public and this – along with many of the other aero-sports – takes place at the recently refurbished Thumamah Airfield with its 4000-metre long runway.

A general aviation flight school has been established which provides pilot training to any person interested in becoming a professional pilot, or would like to learn flying as a hobby. It issues private, commercial and Airline Transport Pilot Licenses with instrument and multi-engine rating, and is also authorised to offer refresher courses for holders of private pilot licenses (PPLs) from other countries desiring to fly in Saudi Arabia.

Anyone interested in joining the Saudi Aviation Club should go to their web site: www.sac.com.sa

Thumamah Airport is located some 60kms north of Riyadh, past Janadriyah.

25 13.3’ N; 46 38.2’ E

Equestrian Sports

Throughout the world the Arabian horse is one of the most sought-after breeds. Beautiful, intelligent and loyal, it has a bloodline that dates back thousands of years.

In Saudi Arabia, owning and breeding horses has always been popular with both city dwellers and bedouin alike. The founder of the modern Kingdom, King Abdul Aziz, owned a famous stable, and the Arabian Horse Research Centre in Dirab owns a breeding stock of several hundred stallions and mares, most of which are descendants of his horses.

Horse racing used to take place at the old stadium in Malaz, but now it is held most Thursdays and Fridays between September and April at the newer Equestrian Club a few hundred metres north of Janadriyah.

Although men only can watch from the stands, families are able to watch the spectacle from the excellent restaurant facilities located over the stands. Betting is prohibited. You can telephone 01 254 0222 to get further information.

If you want to ride, rather than watch others, there are numerous clubs and facilities around the capital, but in most cases you will need to register as a member. The International Equestrian School in Malaz not only teaches people to ride but also puts on horse jumping, polo and other events.

There’s an equestrian centre, too, at the northern end of the Diplomatic Quarter and you may well see bridleway signs near the perimeter walk.

The Equestrian Club race track is on the Thumamah Road just north of Janadriyah.

24 58.98’ N; 46 46.97’ E

Camel Racing

Every visitor to the Middle East should ensure that on at least one occasion they should enjoy the amazing spectacle that is camel racing.

It used to be the traditional desert sport of Bedouin tribes and involved thousands of animals speeding across the open desert.

Today, the desert racing rules have been modified for modern racetracks, and camel races are held at the King Fahd International Stadium every Monday during the winter months.

The annual King’s Camel Race, instituted in 1974, quickly became one of the world’s most important camel events. Between 20,000 and 30,000 spectators usually attend these races.

Camel races are also the traditional start of the National Heritage and Culture Festival at Janadriyah, held every February, when more than 2,000 camels and their riders compete for top prizes.

A winning camel can be worth many thousands of riyals to its owner and competition between the camel owners is intense. At large meetings camels from other Gulf countries are brought to challenge one another. Huge prizes of cars or money reward the winner. No betting is allowed at the track as Islam prohibits this.

Camel races are a test of endurance. The tracks are oval shaped and races are usually between 10 to 14 kilometres.

Before a race, camels are gathered together in huge pens where they are sorted into different categories such as male and female and by age. They will have been exercised every day for weeks before a race to ensure they are in good condition.

Racing camels are also fed a special rich diet to build up their muscles, but for a few days before each race they are given little food as it is felt they perform better on an empty stomach.

Janadriyah

If you are in Riyadh around January-February time, then you shouldn’t miss going to the National Heritage and Folk Cultural Festival – popularly known as Janadriyah.

For over two decades, the Kingdom has held one of the most important annual cultural festivals in the Arab world, which is regarded as a crossroads where poetry, intellect, culture, art, theatre and history meet. Its main objective is to give recognition and prominence to the old Saudi cultural heritage and the present accomplishments of the Saudi nation as a whole.

Launched in 1985, the two-week festival is traditionally opened with a camel race run over a 19km track, which is appropriate since camel races had already been run there for more than a decade. It’s quite common for there to be over 250 camels entered into one particular race and each has a large red number painted onto its neck. Prizes can include brand-new four-wheel-drive cars or even a 2,000-gallon water tanker, plus, of course, various cash alternatives.

Artisans such as potters, wood workers, weavers and carvers demonstrate their traditional skills and crafts; literary figures participate in poetry competitions (particularly of the popular genre known as Nabatean poetry) and recite historic verses, whilst folklore troupes from across the Kingdom perform traditional dances, songs and music.

The most famous dance of them all is the men’s sword dance, known as the Al Ardah. This is regarded as the National Dance of Saudi Arabia, and during the festival it is performed by members of the royal house of Saud. The men carrying swords stand shoulder to shoulder and, from their midst, a poet begins to sing verses or a short melodic line while drummers beat the rhythm.

Since its inception, the Janadriyah Festival has been organised by the National Guard as part of its national responsibilities and it is able to use its regional offices and links with regional governments to find good examples of tradition and heritage from each of the kingdom’s seven geographical regions.

Look out for the sawani, a sturdy contraption which draws water from a deep well for irrigation using wooden wheels mounted high above the well on a strong bar of athl wood, and turned by four camels. When the camels pull ropes over the wheels– lifting and lowering wide-mouthed water skins – the ungreased bearings let out high-pitched squeals. It used to be that the number of wheels on a sawani was the measure of a man’s prosperity.

Entrance to the Janadriyah Festival is free, but it is for men only except for a one-off women’s day, which tends to get announced only at the very last minute.

The easiest way to find the festival site is to take the airport road from Junction 8, and shortly before the security check point, take the exit which is signposted to Al Jinadriyah. The festival grounds lie about 25kms further on and are well signposted, though if you follow the crowds, you won’t go far wrong.

Another route is to drive towards the airport, then to follow signs for private aviation, thence when you have basically turned eastwards, to drive about 5kms, through a check point, straight over a cross roads, and at the traffic lights Janadriyah will be straight ahead of you, practically opposite the BAE Systems Salwa compound.

Entrance: 24 57.7’ N; 46 47.2’