More than 1,000 people gathered at the Juman Park in King Abdullah Economic City as the country’s first yoga festival kicked off on January 29. The event will continue till February 1.  King Abdullah Economic City, 100 km north of Jeddah along the coast of the Red Sea, is a modern metropolis and a growing leisure and tourist destination. 

The event was organized by the Saudi Yoga Committee, which saw the participation of Saudi yoga teachers from across the Kingdom. The Saudi Yoga Committee is a government body that acts like a small federation established by the Saudi Arabia Olympic Committee, Ministry of Sports, to promote yoga in Saudi Arabia on May 16, 2021.

Nouf AlMarwaai was appointed the president of this body, and an MOU was signed between India's AYUSH Ministry and the Saudi Arabia's Sports Ministry, including the Saudi Yoga Committee, on Yoga Day in 2021 — the first collaboration between Saudi Arabia and India on yoga.

A variety of activities — like yogasanas, different forms, and the art of mindfulness — were organised at the event. Despite being a Muslim country, the kingdom has taken to Indian cultural/spiritual practices for enhancing physical and mental well-being. 

Officials from the Indian embassy in Riyadh and the consulate in Jeddah also participated in the event. Indian Consul General Shahid Allam and AlMarwaai honoured young yogi, Arav Pradisha, an Indian resident of Saudi Arabia and a member of the Saudi Yoga Committee team.

Indian yoga teacher Irum Khan also participated in the festival. She has been teaching in Saudi Arabia since 2008. Two famous yoga teachers in Jeddah — Dana Algosaibi, a Saudi national and one Lebanese Natalie Kriedeih - also took to the stage, according to media statements.

(SAM)