Riyadh’s Boulevard World: Where Taj shares space with Eiffel Tower, pyramids

Riyadh, Oct 23 (PTI) Imagine taking a ‘Venetian Gondola’ ride and passing by ‘Taj Mahal’, ‘pyramids’ and ‘Eiffel Tower’?

Boulevard World, a premier entertainment zone located in the heart of Riyadh, provides this journey through diverse civilisations as visitors marvel at the replicas of these iconic monuments.

The arena boasts of over 20 diverse areas from around the globe, including India, along with nearly 300 restaurants and cafes, and close to 900 shops.

Fourteen entertainment zones are part of this year’s Riyadh Season that is taking place over an area exceeding 7.2 million sq m. The zones feature a traditional market showcasing the local culture from to crafts, offering a glimpse into each country.

Besides Gondola rides, one can also take a tour of the venue with water taxis, amphicars and floating donuts, cable cars or simply walk through the arena. There are also theatrical performances from various countries happening every day.

These activities are part of the ongoing Riyadh Season, Saudi Arabia’s popular winter festival that began on October 12 and is expected to continue until March.

The festival was launched by chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Turki bin Abdulmohsen Al-Sheikh.

This year, the season features five main areas – Boulevard World, Kingdom Arena, Boulevard City, The Venue and Al-Suwaidi Park.

The first week of the Riyadh Season drew two million visitors, Al-Sheikh said.

The Indian pavilion hosts several stalls selling jewellery, spices, clothes, herbal oils and food items.

Al-Suwaidi Park hosted a vibrant array of Indian cultural events, which continued until Tuesday. These festivities featured popular shows, traditional cuisine, and concerts, drawing large crowds from the Indian community, residents, and culture enthusiasts.

The Indian Week featured performances by several artistes including hip-hop singer Emiway Bantai and offered opportunities to purchase clothing reflecting India’s rich cultural diversity and taste traditional Indian cuisine.

Ambassador of India Suhel Ajaz Khan said such events demonstrate how Saudi Arabia gives importance to different cultures.

“Saudi Arabia has an immense goodwill for India. Our 2.6 million strong population here forms an integral part of the Saudi society,” he said.

Since the launch of the Riyadh Season, the zone has attracted a large crowd wishing to learn about various regions, heritage, handicraft, cultures, and history, the official Saudi Press Agency said.

The fifth edition of the Riyadh Season began with one of the most anticipated boxing bouts of the year – the world light heavyweight championship. Russian boxer and undisputed world light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev defeated fellow countryman Dmitry Bivol in the showdown to capture the WBA belt.

The Six Kings Slam Championship, touted as the world’s most expensive tennis tournament, was also held as part of the season and attracted six of the top stars – Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune.

In the final, Sinner prevailed upon Alcaraz while Djokovic beat Nadal in the third-place match.