‘The Magic Dream’ — inspiring the love of nature in the age of digital technology

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The ‘Magic Dream’ is a family show. The performers travel worldwide to spread happiness through their art. (AN photos by Huda Bashatah)
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The ‘Magic Dream’ is a family show. The performers travel worldwide to spread happiness through their art. (AN photos by Huda Bashatah)
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The ‘Magic Dream’ is a family show. The performers travel worldwide to spread happiness through their art. (AN photos by Huda Bashatah)
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The ‘Magic Dream’ is a family show. The performers travel worldwide to spread happiness through their art. (AN photos by Huda Bashatah)
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The ‘Magic Dream’ is a family show. The performers travel worldwide to spread happiness through their art. (AN photos by Huda Bashatah)
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The ‘Magic Dream’ is a family show. The performers travel worldwide to spread happiness through their art. (AN photos by Huda Bashatah)
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The ‘Magic Dream’ is a family show. The performers travel worldwide to spread happiness through their art. (AN photos by Huda Bashatah)
Updated 09 July 2019
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‘The Magic Dream’ — inspiring the love of nature in the age of digital technology

  • Yet another fantastic fun-filled event at Jeddah Season suitable for all family members
  • German Holger Ehlers from Berlin, the show’s creator, has toured Europe’s biggest arenas for over 10 years with his international extravaganzas

JEDDAH: Saudis in Jeddah had an enchanting experience at “The Magic Dream,” run by Mondwind Entertainment GMBH, on Sunday as part of the city’s Jeddah Season festival.

“The story is about traveling throughout the world, throughout different nationalities, and finding love — the eternal requirement for humans,” the show’s coordinator, Claudine Attard, told Arab News. 

“The message of the magic dream is that in a world becoming more digital and technical, humanity should not forget the beauty of nature and the love it inspires. 

IN NUMBERS

  • 40 horses
  • 17 riders
  • 8 dancers
  • 35 crew members

“‘The Magic Dream’ is geared to be a family show so anyone can come to see it, all ages are able to enjoy it. There’s so much in it for everyone. The idea of this particular story is that in today’s world, there’s so much digital technology, everybody is taken away by it, but we as humans need to still appreciate all the nature around us, so we can go back to looking out at it and maybe less into our digital world. This is something that brings us all together and also helps keep the family environment as strong as possible,” Attard said.

 

‘Wonderful experience’

The creator, Berlin’s Holger Ehlers, has been touring Europe for over 10 years with his international arena shows.

“It’s been a wonderful experience, it was incredible. We never thought that this (performing in the Kingdom) would be possible but this happened, and the hospitality that we have received, the love that has been given by all the people that helped us, the local companies that are involved, this huge fantastic season, Jeddah Season has been out of our expectations. We’re really grateful to be here and we are so happy.”

Saudi painter Rakan Kurdi attended the event and said he was impressed by the performance and the event’s special needs facilities. 

 “I was amazed by the organization of the event and delighted to see international performances such as this in Saudi Arabia. All the attendees are happy, people with special needs are happy. The story was beautiful, I was happy from the moment I arrived until the end of the show.”

 

Appreciation

Italian dancer Giuseppe Salomone shared his experience performing in the Kingdom for the first time.

“It was amazing. It is so nice to meet such friendly people. They are very nice and very warm,” he told Arab News




The ‘Magic Dream’ is a family show. The performers travel worldwide to spread happiness through their art. (AN photos by Huda Bashatah)

Spanish rider Alejandro Barrionuevo said: “We’re here in Saudi Arabia for the first time, and we are happy because the atmosphere is fantastic. 

“It’s a really big pleasure to be part of this, for me and my team. We are coming here with all our hearts, to give our best, and I think we did it. We looked into the eyes of the public, and the public speak with their eyes, they were happy.” 

Austrian horse trainer Kerstin Brein said performing in the Kingdom for the first time was wonderful.

“I got goosebumps. I couldn’t imagine that I’m so far away, in this country. I never thought it would be possible that we would come here. It’s incredible,” she told Arab News.

Show announcer Leo Raddatz said preparations had been ongoing for months.

“It’s been working quite well, it’s been a good experience for everyone, there has been a lot of work and long nights, but it’s worth it. Tonight’s show was very good, very solid, and I think the audience enjoyed it. The atmosphere was amazing, we had an amazing audience in a great country, it has been a lot of fun.

“It’s amazing to be in a country like this, where this couldn’t have been imagined a couple of years ago. It’s a really cool experience and everything is very different here but also very cool to experience new things. 

“I think from all the shows that I’ve done so far this was one of the coolest because it’s such a different experience. You have to learn new things and experience everything again and I think that’s very enjoyable for the whole crew, be it backstage or onstage.”

Decoder

Horse Riding Terms

"Trick riding" refers to performing stunts while riding a horse. Liberty horse training is the interaction between horse and human, developing a connection, without saddles or reins.


Riyadh exhibition explores palm’s role in ancient cultures

Updated 5 sec ago
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Riyadh exhibition explores palm’s role in ancient cultures

  • Experts discuss challenges and innovations in date farming

RIYADH: The “Palm Tree in Civilizations” pavilion at the International Dates Conference and Exhibition in Riyadh, running until Nov. 28, highlights the historical significance of the palm tree across ancient cultures.

The pavilion explores how date palms supported food and economic sustainability, offering a historical journey through the ages.

It also showcases the palm’s importance in ancient Egypt through carvings and murals depicting its role in daily life and religious rituals, as well as in agriculture, construction, and fertility practices.

Organized by the National Center for Palm and Dates under the theme “World of Dates,” the exhibit also highlights the palm’s significance in Mesopotamia and the Levant, featuring ancient texts like the Code of Hammurabi, which protected palm cultivation, along with carvings illustrating their role in trade and society.

Artifacts from the Dilmun civilization highlighted the reliance of ancient Arab societies on palms for agriculture and trade.

The pavilion also showcases the palm’s symbolic role in the Levant, particularly among the Canaanites and Arameans, with depictions from historical sites like Palmyra emphasizing its importance in religious and artistic traditions.

Saad Alnajim, vice president of the Antiquities and Heritage Association in the Eastern Province, said: “Beyond providing food, medicine, and shade, the palm symbolizes belonging and pride, reflected in its place on Saudi Arabia’s national emblem.”

Abdulaziz Al-Tuwaijri, chairman of the National Committee for Environment, Water and Agriculture, said that dates are central to the Saudi economy, with Vision 2030 aiming to make the Kingdom the world’s largest date exporter.

He added: “Today, the Kingdom is the largest producer and exporter of dates, thanks to the clear vision of the crown prince, whose efforts we are now benefiting from.”

According to the UN Comtrade database, Saudi Arabia exported dates worth over SR1.4 billion ($373 million) to 119 countries by the end of 2023.

The Saudi General Authority for Statistics reported production exceeding 1.9 million tonnes, reflecting a 152.5 percent increase in export value since 2016, solidifying the Kingdom’s position as the world’s largest date exporter.

Meanwhile, a panel of global climate and agriculture experts discussed the impact of climate change on date palm cultivation.

The session focused on challenges such as delayed fruit maturation, reduced yields, pests, and pollution, and explored innovative solutions to address these issues. The panel emphasized the need for international cooperation and sustainable farming practices.

The discussion highlighted global best practices, including improved irrigation and smart agricultural techniques, as well as the importance of farmer education and technical support.

Recommendations included enhancing international collaboration, supporting research on climate-resistant varieties, and promoting awareness for sustainable date palm cultivation.

The exhibition offers a variety of entertainment activities, including folklore shows, regional poetry, and cooking competitions.

It also features a museum that takes visitors on a journey through the history of palm trees and dates over the past 1,000 years.

Additionally, a live cooking area brings together local and international chefs to prepare a variety of date-based dishes.


Saudi Arabia’s NEOM gigaproject a ‘generational investment,’ minister says

Updated 26 November 2024
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Saudi Arabia’s NEOM gigaproject a ‘generational investment,’ minister says

  • The world’s top oil exporter has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into development projects through the kingdom’s $925 billion sovereign fund

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s NEOM gigaproject, a futuristic region being built in the desert, is a “generational investment” with a long timeline, the country’s investment minister told Reuters on Monday, adding that foreign investment will pick up pace.
“NEOM was not meant to be a two-year investable opportunity. If anybody expected NEOM to be foreign investment in two, three or five years, then they have gotten (it) wrong — it’s a generational investment,” Minister Khalid Al-Falih said on the sidelines of the World Investment Conference in Riyadh.
“The flywheel is starting and it will gain speed as we go forward, as some of the foundational assets come to the market,” he said.
The world’s top oil exporter has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into development projects through the kingdom’s $925 billion sovereign fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), as it undergoes an economic agenda dubbed Vision 2030 to cut dependence on fossil fuels.
NEOM, a Red Sea urban and industrial development nearly the size of Belgium that is meant to eventually house 9 million people, is central to Vision 2030. Saudi Arabia has scaled back some lofty ambitions to prioritize completing elements essential to hosting global sporting events over the next decade as rising costs weigh, sources told Reuters earlier this month. NEOM announced this month its long-time chief executive, Nadhmi Al-Nasr, had stepped down, without giving further details.
Asked what effect the departure would have on investors, the minister said the executive had done “a respectable job” but that “there is a time for everybody to pass on the baton.”
Asked if PIF will continue to do much of the spending on NEOM until more foreign funds come in, Al-Falih said it was not binary.
“I think foreign investors are starting to come to NEOM, they’re starting to channel capital. Some of the projects that the PIF will be doing will be financed through global capital pools, through some alternative and private capital. That’s taking place as we speak,” he said.
“So I urge you not to look at NEOM as being 100 percent PIF and then suddenly there will be a cliff and it will go private.”
Saudi Arabia, which is racing to attract $100 billion in annual foreign direct investment by the turn of the decade — reaching about a quarter of that in 2023 — has recently seen more co-investment deals between state entities and foreign investors.
“It’s always been the intent,” Al-Falih said of foreign inflows alongside state funds.
He noted that foreign investors were at times “still looking, still examining, still sometimes questioning,” but that now there was confidence in the profitability of investment opportunities and that “the risk-return trade-offs are very, very fair and positive to them.”


Saudi crown prince extends condolences to Kuwaiti counterpart on death of Sheikh Mohammed Abdulaziz Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah

Updated 26 November 2024
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Saudi crown prince extends condolences to Kuwaiti counterpart on death of Sheikh Mohammed Abdulaziz Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent a cable of condolences to Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on the passing of Sheikh Mohammed Abdulaziz Hamoud Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah.
In the cable, the crown prince extended his deepest sympathy to Sheikh Sabah and the family of the deceased.


Saudi tech diplomat meets Iraqi PM to discuss digital cooperation

Updated 25 November 2024
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Saudi tech diplomat meets Iraqi PM to discuss digital cooperation

  • Deemah Al-Yahya, head of the multilateral Digital Cooperation Organization, commended Iraq’s investment in human capital as driver for growth and expansion of digital economy
  • Iraq has been working in recent years to develop a strategy for digital transformation to help support the private and public sectors and grow the economy

RIYADH: Saudi senior tech diplomat Deemah AlYahya, the secretary-general of the multilateral Digital Cooperation Organization, held talks on Monday with Iraq’s prime minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, about support for Baghdad’s plans to develop its digital business and artificial intelligence sectors.

They discussed Iraq’s strategy for digital transformation, and the need to create and develop a workforce with the tech skills required to help grow the Iraqi economy effectively, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Though Iraq is not a member of the DCO, an international body that focuses on the digital economy, Al-Sudani said his country is keen to work with the organization to meet the nation’s needs for a skilled workforce in the business sector.

AlYahya commended Iraq for the progress it has already made in terms of investment in the human capital needed to develop the digital skills that are essential to drive growth in a digitized economy.

Iraq has been working in recent years to develop a strategy for digital transformation to help support the private and public sectors and grow the economy. Authorities this month organized the first Digital Space Iraq Forum, which focused on the use of advanced technologies, including AI, to help build a comprehensive digital economy.

The DCO says that since it was founded in November 2020, it has been at the forefront of efforts to curate policies and initiatives to support the digital economy in several countries. Currently, 16 nations are members, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh and Oman. It also has 39 observer partner organizations.

DCO member states have a collective gross domestic product of $3.5 trillion and serve a combined market of nearly 800 million people, more than 70 percent of whom are under the age of 35.


Saudi FM pushes for regional stability at G7-Arab foreign ministers meeting

Updated 25 November 2024
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Saudi FM pushes for regional stability at G7-Arab foreign ministers meeting

  • In his address, Prince Faisal highlighted the ongoing crises in Gaza and Lebanon

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan took part in an expanded session of the second meeting between G7 foreign ministers and their counterparts from Arab nations on Monday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The meeting was hosted in Italy under the theme “Together for the Stability of the Middle East.”

The session, which addressed pressing regional and international challenges, was held with the participation of Saudi, Jordanian, Emirati, Qatari and Egyptian officials, as well as the secretary-general of the Arab League.

In his address, Prince Faisal emphasized the importance of strengthening partnerships to address these challenges effectively.

He highlighted the ongoing crises in Gaza and Lebanon, urging the international community to act immediately to secure a ceasefire, facilitate unrestricted humanitarian aid, and progress toward establishing an independent Palestinian state.

He also called for respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty, and renewed international efforts to resolve the crisis in Sudan and alleviate the resulting human suffering.

The meeting was also attended by Prince Faisal bin Sattam bin Abdul Aziz, Saudi ambassador to Italy, the SPA reported.