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Top actresses, celebrities shine at Joy Awards 2024 lavender carpet

Riyadh’s Bakr Al-Sheddi Theater laid out the lavender carpet to welcome some of the biggest stars in entertainment to the third annual Joy Awards on Saturday night. (Supplied)
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Updated 24 January 2024
Rahaf Jambi
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Top actresses, celebrities shine at Joy Awards 2024 lavender carpet

  • All eyes on influencer Georgina Rodriguez, partner of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo
  • Actresses Esaad Younes, Amel Bouchoucha, Nadine Nassib Njeim, others also present
Updated 24 January 2024
Rahaf Jambi

RIYADH: Riyadh’s Bakr Al-Sheddi Theater laid out the lavender carpet to welcome some of the biggest stars in entertainment to the third annual Joy Awards on Saturday night.  




Argentine model Georgina Rodriguez sparkled in a glittering number from designer Lena Berisha. (Photo by Huda Bashatah)

While Argentine model Georgina Rodriguez sparkled in a glittering number from designer Lena Berisha, Tunisian actress Dorra Zarrouk opted for a stunning velvet red gown. 




Tunisian actress Dorra Zarrouk opted for a stunning velvet red gown. (Photo by Huda Bashatah)

Other notable guests in attendance included Eva Longoria, Gloria Gaynor, Anthony Hopkins and John Cena, along with more than 200 Arab figures from various artistic fields.  

International and Arab celebrities received awards in 15 categories, such as lifetime achievement award, best newcomer, best song, and best TV series.   




John Cena with wife Shay Shariatzadeh. (Photo by Huda Bashatah)

Turki Alalshikh, head of the General Entertainment Authority, gave numerous celebrities their awards.  

“It’s a lovely day, and I can see that foreign celebrities are happy to be among Arab celebrities. Even if all of the foreign celebrities are well-liked in their home nations, that doesn’t stop us from celebrating them, too,” Alalshikh told Arab News.  

Hopkins expressed his gratitude for the warmth, generosity, and grace of the Saudi people after receiving a lifetime achievement award.  

“This is my first trip to Saudi Arabia. My wife and my family are here, and we’re overwhelmed by your generosity, by your grace and what a remarkable country this is, and I want to come back,” Hopkins said.  




Saudi actress Mila Al Zahrani. (Photo by Huda Bashatah)

Gaynor performed her hit song “I Will Survive” on stage.  

The event also featured Chinese pianist Lang Lang, who received an entertainer’s honorary award.  

“This is my third time in Saudi Arabia, but it’s my first time playing in this beautiful award event. This event is like an Oscar, like you have actors, musicians, different professions, gathering together. I am very honored to be invited and I can’t wait to play beautiful romantic music for you tonight,” Lang Lang told Arab News.   

Kuwaiti influencer Bibi Al-Abdulmohsen received the best social media influencer award.  

“This is my first time at the Joy Awards, and when I was nominated, I was in disbelief for a week,” Al-Abdulmohsen told Arab News.  

The Joy Awards are Saudi Arabia’s largest event recognizing and honoring the Arab world’s leading artists and their achievements. The event is part of Riyadh Season and is co-organized by MBC Group.  

Topics: Joy Awards Bakr Al-Sheddi Theater Esaad Younes Georgina Rodiguez Lifestyle Reads of the Week

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Azumith Festival begins in AlUla

Updated 20 September 2024
Rahaf Jambi
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Azumith Festival begins in AlUla

Updated 20 September 2024
Rahaf Jambi

ALULA: The Azimuth Festival began in AlUla on Sept. 19, attracting a lively crowd that danced to the beats of techno and EDM, courtesy of a lineup featuring world-renowned DJs and artists from across the globe.

The first day featured a stellar lineup, including Ben Bohmer, YokoO, Ghostly Kisses, The Blaze, Monolink, Eli & Fur, Amine K, and many Saudi DJ’s performing on the Hive stage.

Ahead of his performance, German DJ Ben Bohmer shared his excitement with Arab News: “I’m here in the stunning AlUla in Saudi Arabia. It’s my first time both visiting and performing in this country. I’m thrilled to be here, and I hope everyone is having an amazing time.”

The first day featured a stellar lineup, including Ben Bohmer, YokoO, Ghostly Kisses, The Blaze, Monolink, Eli & Fur, Amine K, and many Saudi DJ’s performing on the Hive stage. (Supplied)

Running from dusk until dawn, the festival embraces the theme “Until the Sun Comes Up,” with performances extending until 7 a.m.

The festival featured two stages: The main stage and the Hive stage, where local artists took the spotlight.

DJ Cosmicat, returning for her third consecutive year, shared her excitement about closing out the Hive Stage on the first night: “Tonight, I’ll be the final act on the DJ stage from 5:20 a.m. until 7 a.m. The vibe is incredible, and the music is calm, perfectly suited to AlUla’s desert atmosphere. 

Set against the stunning backdrop of the AlUla desert, the venue provided the perfect space for music-lovers of all ages and nationalities to gather, dance and enjoy the experience. (Supplied)

“It allows everyone to take in the beauty of this place and connect with one another. Each year, I see the festival evolving, with new faces and exciting developments,” she said. “I’m so proud of everything happening here. The audience at Azimuth has a distinct taste in music, and I am thrilled because the music I love aligns with this year’s lineup, featuring artists like Eli & Fur, Ben Bohmer and James Blake, all of whom have influenced my sound.”

The fourth Azimuth Festival has celebrated individuality, with attendees showcasing distinctive outfits that reflected their personalities and musical preferences. Set against the stunning backdrop of the AlUla desert, the venue provided the perfect space for music-lovers of all ages and nationalities to gather, dance and enjoy the experience.

The festivities on Thursday began with a captivating 80-minute set by internationally acclaimed DJ YokoO, who displayed his two decades of expertise in house music.

 The fourth Azimuth Festival has celebrated individuality, with attendees showcasing distinctive outfits that reflected their personalities and musical preferences. (Supplied)

Ghostly Kisses then took the stage, mesmerizing the audience with an enchanting performance, followed by The Blaze, who kept the energy alive.

Under the stars, Ben Bohmer delivered a stellar set, setting the tone for the night. Monolink followed with an engaging performance, leading into a dynamic set by Eli & Fur.

Amine K closed out the first night, perfectly capturing the festival’s “Until the Sun Comes Up” theme.

Both Thursday and Friday nights also featured the Hive Stage, which spotlighted a diverse lineup of local, regional, underground and emerging artists.

Topics: Azimuth AlUla

Russ, Jason Derulo, more added to MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2024 lineup  

Updated 20 September 2024
Arab News
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Russ, Jason Derulo, more added to MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2024 lineup  

Updated 20 September 2024
Arab News

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s MDLBEAST announced on Thursday the star-studded lineup of artists and DJs from around the world for its 2024 Soundstorm music festival, scheduled to take place from Dec. 12 to 14.

The lineup for the festival’s fifth edition includes US rap stars Tyler, the Creator, Jason Derulo and G-Eazy. Rising hip-hop artist Russ and Nigerian singer Tems, known for her R&B and Afrobeat hits, are also set to perform.

House music fans can look forward to sets from Black Coffee, Afrojack, DJ Snake and trance legend Armin van Buuren. The festival will also feature techno and house acts like Adam Beyer, Bedouin and Ricardo Villalobos, while David Guetta, James Hype and Morten promise electrifying performances.

The electronic lineup also features renowned acts like Meduza, Kölsch, Sonny Fodera, and Folamour, alongside emerging talents Miss Monique, Tita Lau, and Megatronic, offering a diverse range of styles.

The festival will also host previously announced stars, including Eminem, Muse, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Adriatique, Boris Brejcha, Marco Carola, Richie Hawtin, Brina Knaus, Chelina Manuhutu, Fleur Shore, Baloo, Anmarz, Dorar and Vinyl Mode.

As the region’s biggest music festival, Soundstorm delivers a vibrant mix of music styles and genres from around the world.

Ramadan Al-Haratani, CEO of MDLBEAST, said in a statement: “Soundstorm, the region’s biggest music festival, has successfully made a remarkable impact on the regional and global music scene, making it an eagerly anticipated annual festival for music fans worldwide.

“This has contributed to enhancing the Kingdom’s position in the music entertainment sector.”

Topics: MDLBeast SOUNDSTORM

REVIEW: Netflix’s ‘Officer Black Belt’ is a confusing genre mash-up

Updated 20 September 2024
Adam Grundey
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REVIEW: Netflix’s ‘Officer Black Belt’ is a confusing genre mash-up

  • South Korean film is billed as an action-comedy, but the laughs rapidly fade
Updated 20 September 2024
Adam Grundey

DUBAI: South Korean director Jason Kim’s latest project, “Officer Black Belt,” is marketed as an action-comedy. And for the first 40 minutes or so, you can see why: it sets out as a so-so take on the “odd couple/buddy cop” trope. But then comes a shift.

The story: likeable-but-aimless Lee Jung-do (Kim Woo-bin) spends most of his time hanging with his gamer friends and working as a delivery driver for his dad’s restaurant. One night, he happens across a probation officer who’s being badly beaten by one of the violent ex-cons whose ankle bracelets he monitors. Jung-do, it turns out, is a master martial artist. He rushes to help the probation officer, likely saving his life.

Probation department manager Kim Sun-min (Kim Sung-kyun) offers Jung-do a temporary job while the officer he saved recovers. He accepts, and the two quickly become friends — despite a considerable age gap and what at first seems like a major difference in lifestyle choices. There are some vaguely humorous scenes as the two get to know one another and as Jung-do gets to grips with his new role — and with several parolees.

The general goofiness of these early scenes takes a turn when a notorious child abuser is released from prison and becomes the responsibility of the already over-worked probation department. The fight scenes are no longer comic-book-style entertainment, but grimly lethal, and the storyline gets especially dark when a young girl is abducted with the intent of forcing her to ‘star’ in a video for a dark web pornographer.

It's impossible to overstate just how jarring this narrative and stylistic shift is; but it’s a bit like watching an episode of “Friends” and having Phoebe turn up at the coffee shop bloodied and traumatized having been brutally assaulted. It’s not just a shock, but a shock that feels entirely out of place contextually.

Whether that’s intentional, as an attempt to subvert audience expectations, or simply sloppy storytelling is hard to say — and the result is ultimately the same: confusion. Which is only compounded when the director delivers a ludicrously saccharine, plot-hole-riddled ending.

Woo-bin, who shows himself to be a charismatic and capable lead, deserves better.

Topics: Officer Black Belt Netflix

Coldplay to bring their world tour to the UAE

Updated 19 September 2024
Arab News
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Coldplay to bring their world tour to the UAE

  • Coldplay will be joined by special guest Chilean Palestinian singer Elyanna
Updated 19 September 2024
Arab News

DUBAI: Grammy Award-winning band Coldplay is set to bring their Music Of The Spheres World Tour to the UAE in 2025, with a performance at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City Stadium on Jan. 11.

This will be their only concert in the Middle East for the tour, as confirmed by promoters Live Nation Middle East.

Coldplay, who last performed in Abu Dhabi in 2016, will be joined by special guest Chilean Palestinian singer Elyanna, who has appeared with the band at several of their concerts.

Ticket presale will begin on Sept. 25, at 11 a.m. (Saudi time) on the band’s website and the Live Nation pre-sale will begin Sept. 26, at 11 a.m. (Saudi time). The general on-sale will begin on Sept. 27, at 11 a.m. (Saudi time). 

Since kicking off in March 2022, the Music Of The Spheres World Tour has sold over 10 million tickets across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, making it the most highly attended tour by a group of all time. 

Adding to its extensive two and a half year outing, along with Abu Dhabi, the tour is also traveling to Mumbai, Seoul and Hong Kong between January and April of 2025.

Topics: coldplay Abu Dhabi

Review: ‘I Am Georgina,’ Season 3 — reality TV, Saudi style

Updated 18 September 2024
Saffiya Ansari
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Review: ‘I Am Georgina,’ Season 3 — reality TV, Saudi style

Updated 18 September 2024
Saffiya Ansari

DUBAI: Netflix’s “Soy Georgina” (“I Am Georgina”) is back, and this time it explores Argentine model Georgina Rodriguez’s life after her move to Saudi Arabia with partner Cristiano Ronaldo in 2023.

The reality show dominated the Netflix Top 10 in 46 countries after the release of season two. One episode was set entirely in Dubai and showed the Burj Khalifa lit up for Rodriguez’s 28th birthday.

The model-meets-Middle Eastern-luxury formula seems to be one the producers were keen to continue, with fans taken on a whirlwind tour of the Kingdom in season three as Rodriguez and her family explore life in the country.

However, the high-end hotels and stunning seascapes are interspersed with moments of real introspection and fragility, which takes this program from stereotypical reality TV territory to something altogether more inviting and — dare I say it? — heartwarming.

We follow Rodriguez as she embarks on a number of firsts. These include the opening of her first beach house, Villa Perla, to starring in an international campaign for a famous clothing brand and making her debut at Paris Fashion Week by walking for Swiss fashion label Vetements.

One of the most touching aspects of the show is Rodriguez’s relationship with her children — the couple have five, the eldest of whom was born to another mother. The opening scenes of the season show Rodriguez’s worrying about, and praising, her kids and it offers a new side to the woman we are more used to seeing on fashion billboards.

Similarly, the — albeit sparse — scenes of a football legend pottering around with his young family offers insight into Ronaldo as a father, for which the series is all the better.

There are, thankfully, no engineered high-drama interactions and although it does sometimes feel like a carefully staged advertorial, there are candid caught-on-camera moments where the star seems tense and nervous at public events.

She is also not one to shy away from talking about her humble roots and being honest about the sometimes taxing reality of her life in the spotlight and what it takes to be a poster girl for all things glamor.

Topics: Saudi Arabia Georgina Rodriguez Cristiano Ronaldo

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