More than 1,000 people gathered at the Juman Park in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia, as the country’s first Yoga festival kicked off on January 29. The event will continue till February 1.

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 the AYUSH Ministry and the Sports Ministry, including the Saudi Yoga Committee, on Yoga day in 2021 — the first collaboration between Saudi Arabia and India on Yoga in the history of the bilateral relations.

A variety of activities — like Yogasanas, different forms, and the art of mindfulness — were organised at the event. It began with Yoga classes. Murali Krishnan led the adults, while Sara Alamoudi led the children.

Officials from the Indian embassy in Riyadh and the consulate in Jeddah also participated in the event. Indian Consul General Shahid Allam and Marwaai honoured young yogi, Arav Pradisha, who won a medal at the first participation in Asian Games hosted by Saudi Arabia. He is 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.