Ithra concludes second edition of Children's Festival

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), an initiative by Saudi Aramco, has concluded the second edition of its Children's Festival. The three-week event drew thousands of visitors, offering a comprehensive cultural experience aimed at children and families. The festival featured a diverse program combining learning, creativity, and play, in line with Ithra's mission to foster curiosity and promote culture among younger generations.

This year's edition was held under the theme "Home," exploring the concept as more than just a place to live, but as a space for belonging, safety, identity, and self-expression. The festival included 80 interactive experiences and multidimensional activities such as creative workshops, storytelling sessions, and art installations. Specialized programs were also held at the Children's Museum, Energy Exhibit, and Ithra Museum. The festival encouraged children to explore how homes are shaped by people, nature, and imagination, promoting values of cooperation, innovation, and openness to different cultures.

A highlight of the festival was the sixth edition of the Children's Book Fair, which featured over 23 events and 25 publishing houses from Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, and the Arab world. This year, the fair honored the Syrian Arab Republic as guest of honor, presenting a cultural program that showcased the richness of Syrian children's literature. The event highlighted Arab cultural diversity and strengthened knowledge exchange among creators, publishers, and young readers. The fair also offered a comprehensive experience combining a cultural salon and interactive activities, encouraging children to engage with reading in an enjoyable and lively way.

During a session in the cultural salon titled "Bringing Text into Reading Environments," participants discussed the journey of books from traditional formats to their presence in schools, libraries, digital platforms, and cultural spaces for children. They emphasized that building a lasting relationship with reading requires adapting to changes in how content is received.

Ebtehaj Al-Shammari, Head of Reading Activities and Events at the National Cultural Project for Renewing the Connection with Books at King Abdulaziz Public Library, highlighted the project's efforts to reconnect individuals with books in the digital age. She noted the importance of developing the presence of books in technological environments and focusing on children as the key group for shaping reading habits. Al-Shammari added that offering diverse content formats strengthens children's engagement with books, while providing material that does not match readers' interests can discourage reading.

Mohammed Al-Abdulkareem, Director General of Products at the Hobbies Development Sector of the Quality of Life Program, discussed the role of digital platforms in supporting hobbies and expanding access to reading content.