Prince Muqrin Bin Abdul Aziz, second deputy prime minister, adviser and special envoy of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, with the team that made the largest handprint painting in Jeddah, Monday evening. — SG photo by Saleh Fareed

Saleh Fareed

Saudi Gazette



 

JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest handprint painting covering an area of 10,000 sq. meters featuring around 1.2  million handprints of princes, government officials, businessmen, businesswomen, social figures, and students.



The record was announced Monday night at a gala ceremony at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI). The ceremony was inaugurated by Prince Muqrin Bin Abdul Aziz, second deputy prime minister, adviser and special envoy of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.



Receiving the award on behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, Prince Muqrin said: “We are witnessing an example of love and loyalty to the leader of this country and we are really proud of those who gained an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records in the name of their country.”



“What makes us happy is that the breaking of the record comes as we are celebrating our National Day, the day of unity, serenity and fulfillment.” Finally, on behalf of King Abdullah, Prince Muqrin thanked all team members of the project.



Later, Sheikh Saleh Kamel, chairman of the JCCI, expressed his admiration for the great efforts exerted ??by the organizers of the painting.  He descried it as a sincere expression of love and loyalty.



Dina Al-Nahdi, the woman behind the project, said: “We are very happy to achieve this success and would like to express my gratitude to all of those amazing  young Saudi volunteers who made this dream come true.”



She noted that the cloth used in painting is made ??of pure cotton and the colors used are free of chemicals that are harmful to the environment and the painting is a map of Saudi Arabia.



A documentary film showed the project's salient features indicating how the idea was developed and how it progressed to enter the Guinness Book of World Records.