Hareed Festival

Hareed Festival is a heritage festival held yearly between late March and early April. It is sponsored by Jazan Province Emirate and is dedicated to fishing parrotfish on the shores of Farasan Island in the Red Sea, southwest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Hareed or parrotfish (Hipposcarus harid) are coral reef fish resembling parrots in their beak-like external mouth shape and variety of colors. They nibble on their food consisting of coral plants and comprising a large quantity of seaweed. Parrotfish live and breed in groups that roam the coral reef.

Parrotfish represents one of the finest types of fish. It contains a large quantity of white meat and has a distinctive flavor, especially when grilled. Fishing for parrotfish is difficult, as they are found among coral reefs, hence complicating cast net fishing. It is also a cautious fish species. It weaves a very thin spider-like web around its body when it sleeps at night. This step helps it detect any surrounding movement and enables its escape from sharks known to be active at night, hunting parrotfish.

The annual Hareed Festival is launched once parrotfish gather in groups, some of which comprise more than one thousand fish. They gather in proximity to the shore, usually on only one day of the year, between the end of March and the beginning of April. The fishermen of Farasan Island detect the approaching arrival of parrotfish thanks to a distinctive odor generated from the sea, usually after sunset between the end of March and the beginning of April. The odor is generated by eggs laid by soft corals all at once on one night of the year.

The annual Hareed Festival begins before al-Fajr Prayer, as people head to the parrotfish gathering location on al-Husais Coast. Men would climb elevated areas to observe the water and detect any movement indicating the presence of a group of parrotfish. The group gathering is known as "Sawad." Once a gathering is spotted, senior fishermen head to the sea to fish for parrotfish, while others remain ready on the shore.

The collection process begins with the fishermen wrapping nets around the group of parrotfish, one group at a time. Parrotfish would curl around themselves and continue to rotate without touching the nets in a defensive movement. However, fishermen would continue to collect the groups into one large group. The chief fisherman would ask the youth and children to collect the shrubs scattered across the shore. Once a sufficient quantity is collected, it is used to build a half-a-m-high barrier around parrotfish. Nets are then gradually withdrawn. Each participant would carry a small net that looks similar to a bag. They would wait for the end of the collection process. Once parrotfish is gathered into one group, surrounded by shrubs on all sides, the chief fisherman gives the signal to attack, using the word "al-Duwaini." All participants, young and old, would head to the sea in an attempt to collect the largest quantity of parrotfish.

The annual Hareed Festival comprises accompanying programs and events, including a competition for the largest quantity of caught parrotfish, a crafts exhibition, marine competitions, several traditional performances, and an open theater. Events also feature paragliding and traditional dances of Farasan Island. These events are held in cooperation with the General Entertainment Authority, Tourism Development Council in Jazan Province, and Farasan Governorate Municipality, among other government entities and service organizations.

In the past, the people of Farasan used to celebrate Hareed Day at the houses of new brides who got married during the year. The bride would wear her full attire, and women and children would come to celebrate at her house.