JOHANNESBURG - Under the auspices of EgyptAir, the national carrier, the Egyptian Embassy in South Africa organised the Arab Cultural Week in co-operation with the Arab embassies in South Africa. The event drew the participation of Arab and African dignitaries, with the organising committee led by Mohamed Badreddin, Egypt's Ambassador in South Africa. The week-long event, held in late October, featured different aspects of the Arab culture such as music, art, cuisine, and seminars on culture and politics. During political seminars, Palestinian official Nabil Shaath reviewed the developments of the Palestinian problem and Israeli dilly-dallying. Particularly interesting were the performances staged by the Egyptian jazz band of Yehia Khalil, which performed in the biggest plazas of Johannesburg and at a major university theatre. In addition, Egypt's folk arts company performed with the local flute and staged a mesmirising tanura (whirlwind) dance. Moreover, a wide array of Arab culinary delights, including Egypt's popular koshari dish, were displayed during the event. "For the first time, such an event is held in co-ordination between the Arab countries and the support of the Arab League," said Egyptian Ambassador Mohamed Badreddin. He explained that the event had been approved by the pan-Arab organisation at a meeting of the Arab Foreign Ministers last September when it urged arab envoys to hold similar activities worldwide to familiarise people with the Arab culture. Meanwhile, the week included an art exhibition of the artworks created by Egyptian and other Arab artists. The event culminated in a raffle draw held by the EgyptAir office in Johannesburg on free business tickets on the Cairo-Johannesburg route. [email protected]
