Folk Games in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia, and their Role in Enhancing Cultural Interaction and Safeguarding Intangible Heritage

Abstract

The study explores the role of folk games in Jeddah at Saudi Arabia as a model for traditional performing arts, to enhancing cultural interaction and safeguarding of the Intangible cultural heritage. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach, utilizing a questionnaire distributed to 134 participants, including seniors, practitioners of folk games, young enthusiasts, as well as experts, academics, and researchers in the fields of performing arts and cultural heritage. Policymakers from institutions involved in heritage preservation were also included in the study.

The study's results showed that folk games significantly contribute to enhancing cultural interaction among community members and safeguarding intangible heritage. Furthermore, the results confirm a positive correlation between individuals' sustained participation in these games and their perception of the games' role in safeguarding intangible heritage and fostering cultural and social interaction. The study discloses no statistically significant differences in study variables based on demographic characteristics of the sample, except individuals’ continued participation in folk games. Based on the findings, the study proposes several recommendations to provide sustainable activities of these folk games, with protecting of their identities and solution of their challenges. The most prominent of these recommendations are to integrate folk games into educational curricula and institutional programs to encourage participation and convey cultural values. Additionally, establishing an academy for folk games with the aim of training teachers to utilize them in education was suggested. The study also emphasized the necessity of showcasing folk games in local, national, regional, and international festivals to increase awareness of them, enhance their role in cultural interaction, and safeguarding intangible heritage.