The king’s birthday celebration, held on Senegambia highway in Kololi, was attended by both Dutch nationals and their Gambian partners.
Organised by the Dutch-Gambia business link, the celebration also included an exhibition of free market products symbolizing the Dutch traditional way of celebrating the occasion in the Netherlands.
In an interview with The Point, the chairperson of the Dutch-Gambia business link, Beppie Smith, said they have been celebrating the King’s birthday in The Gambia over the years, with the exhibition of products for sale in free market, wearing orange clothes as a symbol.
Beppie said the King’s day, also known as the ‘Royal Orange festival’, is regarded a significant day for the Dutch, as it is a huge celebration in the Netherland.
“Everybody wears orange clothes and it is also held with a free market where people can make their sales without paying tax,” she told The Point.
According to her, the celebration has been in existence in the Netherlands for over hundred years.
They hope to celebrate the occasion in The Gambia in a bigger fashion in future, she added.
As the Dutch-Gambia business link runs businesses in The Gambia, they deemed it significant to engage government officials who would update them on the laws of the country, she said.
