Yesterday evening, the 17th Kleicha Festival in Buraidah concluded its activities, which spanned over 15 days from January 8 to 22, attracting an audience of over 500,000 visitors. The event hosted more than 340 commercial outlets and points of sale, providing 1,500 seasonal job opportunities.
This economic and tourism event was organized and funded by the Qassim Chamber, held at the King Khalid Cultural Center in Buraidah. Preliminary indicators showed significant achievements in terms of public attendance, economic efficiency, and available investment and tourism opportunities.
The Secretary-General of the Qassim Chamber and General Supervisor of the festival, Mr. Mohammed Al-Hanaya, explained that the number of visitors over the 15 days exceeded 500,000, noting that this is expected to be one of the highest attendance rates since the festival’s inception. He added that the festival proved to be an effective economic and marketing platform, with the wide participation of 340 outlets and marketing points, including productive families, artisans, small and medium enterprise owners, as well as major companies and institutions.
This integrated system contributed to stimulating commercial activity, providing direct marketing channels, and enhancing economic returns for participants. It also created seasonal job opportunities for more than 1,500 young men and women in various fields such as organization, operation, marketing, and services. This distribution reflects the festival’s pivotal role in supporting the labor market, empowering national talent, and linking youth to the events industry and creative economy.
Al-Hanaya stated that the results of the 17th edition confirm the festival’s success as one of the most prominent economic and tourism arms of the Qassim region. He pointed out that the recorded figures reflect great confidence in the organizational and commercial environment provided by the Chamber for such events.
Describing the festival’s achievements, Al-Hanaya said: “We are proud of the positive economic and marketing indicators achieved by the Kleicha Festival, whether in terms of visitor volume, participation numbers, or the job opportunities it provided. All of this reflects the pivotal role of the Qassim Chamber as a business incubator and a center of expertise in organizing economic events, empowering youth and entrepreneurs, and transforming heritage products into sustainable investment opportunities that contribute to stimulating tourism and supporting the region’s economy.”
The Secretary-General of the Qassim Chamber noted the approval of His Royal Highness Prince Dr. Faisal bin Mishal bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Qassim Region, to name the event “Buraidah International Kleicha Festival,” which is a natural extension of the continuous support and follow-up provided by His Highness, the founder and visionary behind the festival since its beginning.
Al-Hanaya emphasized that the recorded successes reveal the organizational and operational maturity of young national talents, noting that the focus in the next phase will be toward maximizing the festival’s economic impact, attracting serious investments, expanding partnerships, and increasing this event’s contribution to the region’s GDP.
He added that organizing the Kleicha Festival comes within the framework of efforts to support the business environment, support small and medium enterprises, empower productive families, and transform heritage events into developmental and economic tools that contribute to achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
United News Network – UNN Arabic
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