PUTRAJAYA: Putrajaya International Islamic Arts and Cultural Festival (PIIACuF) is back with a remarkable array of artifacts and activities under one roof.
Themed Wonders of Islamic World, the four-day affair held at Dataran Putrajaya in Precinct 3 offers visitors an Islamic artefact exhibition, a handicraft fair, cultural show, fashion show and book expo.
Putrajaya Corporation Town Planning Department vice-president Datuk Omairi Hashim said the festival which is being held until Sunday will give visitors a unique experience of Islamic arts and culture.
“The main components that set the event apart are the growing numbers of international participants, various products and services trading zones and the cultural showcase from participating countries and NGOs.
“We are expecting 500,000 visitors this year,” he said, adding that the corporation is committed to position Putrajaya as the preferred international Islamic arts and culture destination.
He said besides Malaysia, there are seven countries participating in the event, namely, Yemen, Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, Oman, Palestine, Iran and Indonesia.
During the festival, notable speakers like Yemen political analyst Abdul-Ghani F. Al-Iryani, Palestine supreme judge Mahmoud Al Habbash and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad are expected to attend the International Islamic Forum Putrajaya 2014.
Other interesting events include Selawat with Habib Syech Assegaf performance at 9pm tonight and Islamic Music Concert tomorrow at 9pm with performances by Datuk Siti Nurhaliza, Hafiz Hamidon, Nazrey Johani and Mawi.
The opening ceremony of the festival will be officiated by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today.
For details, visit www.piiacuf.com or www.facebook.com/piiacuf. By Nor Ain Mohamed Radhi