The rain didn’t keep away thousands of curious visitors from entering the doors of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, or any of the other participating embassies this Saturday, when throughout Washington missions threw open their doors and invited strangers in to learn about their countries.
This year marked the 10th anniversary of Passport DC’s Around the World Embassy Tours, an annual celebration that highlights international cultures portrayed by the world’s embassies in Washington. Forty missions opened their doors to the 30,000 curious tourists who could visit any of the participating embassies for free, meet local representatives, and learn about countries and cultures previously foreign to them.
“The international community is so vibrant here; they’re our neighbors, they’re part of the fabric and network of our city,” Tim Cox, chairman of the Board of Directors of Culture Tourism DC, told Arab News.
“Many Americans don’t travel internationally, so when they enter an embassy, they’re transported to a foreign country. Passport DC offers a wonderful blend of arts, culture, business and cuisine — all are highlighted at the embassies for guests to experience,” said Cox.
“This is one of the best ways possible to introduce our country; it’s a powerful experience for visitors and for us,” said Farah Al-Sufyani, a senior in biotechnology and pre-med student at George Mason University. She was one of the 20 Saudi students who volunteered to meet visitors at the Saudi Embassy.
“Everyone who visited here was very nice and respectful,” said Al-Sufyani, a first-time volunteer. “We were able to represent our country in the best way we could as our embassy is a credible resource for people to discover the true Saudi Arabia.”
The embassy offered entertainment, including folk dances, henna painting, Saudi coffee with cardamom, Saudi dates, and even the opportunity for visitors — men and women — to try on traditional Saudi clothes.
“People said they were surprised at how comfortable and lightweight our clothes are; and many said they thought they were very beautiful,” said Hamdan Al-Balawi, a senior in civil engineering at George Mason University. “A lot of people also asked why men wear red and white ghutras, or headscarves.”
Al-Balawi said he also volunteered by handing out posters displaying Makkah and Madinah. Other free posters included a close-up of a falcon, another displayed an aerial photo of a Saudi camel race. “We answered lots of questions about them, especially about the holy sites.
“A lot of people didn’t know why we gather at Makkah and Madinah,” he said. “They were surprised to learn that we always pray toward the direction of Makkah, they found that astonishing.
“This event made me happy because it surpassed my expectations,” added Al-Balawi. “It was nice to see the visitors’ curiosity and willingness to learn from us, the real Saudi people. I was proud to be here and show them who we really are as Saudis.”
Mamdouh Ali helped men put on traditional Saudi thobes, a keffiyeh, or what Ali called the shemagh, or headdress, and the igal, the black rope-like cord that holds the keffiyeh in place. Female Saudi students helped women visitors dress in colorful abayas and headscarves.
“I never thought so many people would visit us here, and most people said it was their first time in our embassy,” said Ali, a senior in electrical engineering at George Mason University.
All the students agreed that the opportunity allowed them an opportunity as Al-Balawi said, to “show them who we really are, and break stereotypes about us.” They said they had fun speaking to many visitors who were not only Americans, but also international guests from a variety of nations.
“Passport DC is a great opportunity for people to visit different embassies, have fun, discover a bit of our culture, and meet our people,” said Al-Sufyani.
• life.style@arabnews.com
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