Hada Raja Game

Hada Raja Game is one of the traditional games in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is played by children and requires enthusiasm while performing a chant included in the game. This game aims to entertain children and develop their language skills. Hada Raja is one of the traditional games that have undergone significant changes, leading to the disappearance of most of them due to the urban expansion experienced by Saudi cities.

Hada Raja is a game that does not require any tools to play. Like most traditional games, it focuses more on the interactive and physical skills of the players, aiming to instill a sense of enthusiasm.

Hada Raja Game is played by having children place their hands on the ground with their fingers spread open. One of the players then passes their finger over the lined-up hands in order while chanting: 'Hada Raja, Bada Raja, wa al-Haba Habat Lulu, wa al-Lulu Mfarak al-Deek, wa al-Deek Yaba al-Hasan, Kam Baqi 'ala Ramadan, wa Hadiya wa Abdiha, wa al-Darb al-Qaws Yadiha' (Hada Raja, Bada Raja, the pearl is a pearl, the pearl is divided by the rooster, the rooster calls out beautifully, how many days left until Ramadan? One to start with, and the bow passes). When the chant ends, the hand where the count stops is lifted.

The Ministry of Culture launched the Intangible Cultural Heritage Initiative to revive various traditional elements during social events. It includes traditional markets, heritage-themed festivals, and national celebrations such as National Day and Founding Day. The aim is to introduce these cultural elements to the public. This initiative stems from the significant amount of creative and scientific literature surrounding traditional games, which have various social, cultural, and environmental dimensions from which each game originated.