AMMAN - Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts opened on Wednesday with a performance by Jordan’s Rum Troupe and Jordanian singer Natalie Samaan.

Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit inaugurated the event by lighting the festival flame, while Fayez Tarawneh, president of the festival’s higher committee, delivered an address at the opening ceremony, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He said the event has been a meeting place for cultures and a major tourist attraction, noting that the Kingdom's cultural scene stands to gain from the festival, where Arabs meet away from politics to get in touch with their roots and heritage.

Festival organisers expect a "huge" turnout this year as Jordan is the "ideal" destination for entertainment seekers in the region, which is undergoing political turmoil.

The festival, which is being held after a four-year absence, will run through August 8 and feature a diverse array of activities that appeal to people from all walks of life, Mohammad Abu Summaqa, a member of the festival's management committee, said Wednesday.

"The restoration of Jerash Festival comes at a time when there are accelerating regional developments and limited festivals, therefore… it is expected to witness a big turnout," he told The Jordan Times in an interview yesterday.

The event is projected to attract a 'huge" number of visitors from the Gulf states as well as Arab Israelis, Jordanians living abroad and citizens, Abu Summaqa said.

"Due to developments in the region, Jerash Festival is a main factor in attracting tourists to the Kingdom this summer. The country is stable and safe amidst this regional turmoil and these are all factors that encourage people to visit the country and attend the festival," he noted.

Prominent Arab singers and artists on the programme include George Wassouf from Syria, Melhem Barakat and Najwa Karam from Lebanon, Nabeel Shail from Kuwait, Omar Kheirat from Egypt and Metab Saqqar, Nahawand, Hani Metwasi and Hussein Salman from Jordan.

Dance troupes include Enana from Syria, Al Jeel Al Jadeed Club for Circassian Folklore from Jordan, the Galata Mevlevi Ensemble from Turkey, the Alashekeen Band from Palestine and the Spanish Ballet of Murcia.

Two exhibitions of books and handicrafts are also on the programme, while a full day will be dedicated to showcasing Palestinian art, culture, heritage and traditions, with the participation of poets, dancers, singers and craftsmen.

"We believe that Jerash Festival, which has been one of Jordan's major landmarks for years, will be a success this year in terms of content and attendance," Abu Summaqa said.

In March this year, the government said it plans to revive the festival, which was first launched in 1981, after the “substitute proved not to be up to the message intended from the festival".

In 2008, authorities launched Jordan Festival, a nationwide theme-oriented event under which Jerash Festival became a component, a move that faced bitter criticism from fans, artists and associations.

At the time, officials said the idea of Jordan Festival was to hold activities in different parts of the country to promote the Kingdom’s archaeological sites.