Saudi Arabia’s ‘cultural rebirth’ in spotlight on Saudi National Day

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Talal Maddah, known as “The Earth’s Voice” and one of Saudi Arabia’s most beloved singers, was the first to perform on Saudi television and the first Saudi to broadcast his songs to the world. (Supplied)
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According to this old newspaper clipping, country music star Kenny Rogers performed at the Aramco communities of Ras Tanura on June 30, 1977, followed by Abqaiq on July 6 and Dhahran on July 7.
Updated 23 September 2019
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Saudi Arabia’s ‘cultural rebirth’ in spotlight on Saudi National Day

  • Saudis benefit from ‘second Awakening’ decades after religious hard-liners targeted artistic expression in the Kingdom
  • 1979 Makkah Grand Mosque attack ushered in 'an era of extremism,' Saudi author Abdo Khal says

JEDDAH: A conservative brand of Islam has always existed in Saudi Arabia, one of the many strands of Saudi society. However, in the wake of the 1979 Grand Mosque siege, this school of thought gained increasing prominence, spreading into official institutions including the legal system and education.
Saudi society began to lose its artistic and cultural moorings under the influence of religious hard-liners who attacked music, sculpture, painting and photography, along with a host of other artistic activities. Regressive social ideas were widely propagated via schools, universities and mosques.
Conservative preachers argued that new entertainment devices — the record player, radio, cassettes, videotapes or television — were forbidden in Islam as they encouraged moral corruption and symbolized the technological domination of the West.
In 1965, shortly after the launch of the official Saudi TV channel, a group of extremists attacked the Saudi Broadcasting Authority building, claiming that the development was a threat to the Muslim nation.
This reactionary movement, which later morphed into the “Islamic Awakening” or “Sahwa,” succeeded in eliminating most forms of entertainment, including those with a religious theme.
Abdo Khal, a Saudi author, said that the 1979 attack on the Grand Mosque in Makkah by a group of militants ushered in “an era full of extremism.”
Musical instruments were smashed by the Muhtasibin — volunteers in the religious police — in acts that appeared to have public approval, Khal said.
Although the leader of the Grand Mosque assault, Juhayman Al-Otaibi, and his followers were eliminated, their ideology spread like poison.
“Darkness reigned everywhere,” said Khal. “Television was the first to be affected. People woke up to a raft of prohibitions that turned society into an arid place where all life-affirming activities were prohibited.”
Before 1979, Saudi TV broadcast songs and concerts by Saudi folk bands and artists, including female singers such as Toha, Etab and Ibtisam Lutfi, as well as concert performances by Um Kalthoum, Fayza Ahmad, Samira Tawfik, Najat Al-Saghira and Farid Al-Atrach.
However, after the war on entertainment and the arts was launched, generations of Saudis grew up deprived of their rich cultural and artistic heritage, unaware of their country’s important role in regional art, music and culture.
According to researcher and critic Yahya Yzuriqan, the first Saudi radio station was established in 1948 in Makkah. It was later moved to Jeddah, where it flourished, recording and producing musical plays, and becoming the first building block of the modern Saudi music sector.
In Riyadh, there was no music on an official level until Riyadh Radio was founded in 1964. However, singers from other Gulf countries often visited the city, and Saudi folk music was a staple of official and private occasions.
The real renaissance of Saudi musical arts began in the 1960s when the Saudi army band was established. It was later transformed into an orchestra, featuring Arab musicians from Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, and is credited with sparking a musical revival across the Kingdom.
Private musical production and marketing companies soon emerged in Al-Ahsa, Riyadh and Jeddah, in addition to talents in poetry, and music composition and performance.
Saudi society was introduced to local voices such as Ghazi Ali, Talal Maddah and Jamil Mahmoud. Some singers — Mahmoud Halawani, Mohammed Ali Sindi, Abdullah Mohammed and Fawzi Mahson — gained fame as wedding performers. The list of contributors to that era is long, but two people — composer Omar Kadars and poet Taher Zamakhshari — deserve special mention. Private companies that appeared included Riyadh Phone, a recording studio established in 1964 by Talal Maddah and Lutfi Zaini.
The studio shut down after a few years when cassette tapes began to replace vinyl records in Saudi Arabia.
Talal Maddah, a Saudi composer and singer who became hugely popular across the Middle East, was known as “The Earth’s Voice” to his admirers in the Kingdom.
Maddah’s career took off in the late 1950s with the release of his first album, “Wardak Ya Zaree Al-Ward” (“Grower of Roses”).
Another prominent figure in that era, Saudi composer Tareq Abdul-Hakim, was a key player in the Kingdom’s musical renaissance.
Abdul-Hakim, who composed the Kingdom’s national anthem, was among the first Saudi students to be granted a music scholarship. He was twice elected president of the Arab Music Academy and received the IMC-UNESCO International Music Prize in 1981.
Saudi music and singing can be divided broadly into two schools. Ibtisam Lutfi represented the Hijazi school, which was headed by her teacher, Talal Maddah. Well-known singers who belonged to this school included Toha, Lutfi Zaini, Fawzi Mahsoun, Siraj Omar and Abadi Al-Jawhar.
The Najdi school was represented by Abdullah Al-Sreikh, along with Abu Saud Al-Hammadi, Abdullah bin Salloum, Fahd bin Saeed, Bashir Hamad Shannan and Hamad Al-Tayyar.
Singers of both schools were anything but purists, and collaborated with artists from around the Middle East.
Although most of the famous names were male, the few female voices proved hugely influential. The most popular female singer was Ibtisam Lutfi.
Lutfi, whose real name was Khayriya Qurban, was blind from a young age. Like so many others, her musical career began singing at weddings feasts in Jeddah. At the age of 16, Lutfi’s melodious voice gained her an invitation to perform at King Faisal’s council.
King Faisal was impressed by Lutfi’s performance. She said in one of her interviews that he asked her: “What do you wish?” Her response came as a surprise. “I want to be the first Saudi woman to sing on radio,” she said.
Two months later, her wish came true when she received an invitation to sing for a radio station. In 1986, she became the first female voice on a Saudi TV broadcast.
Music was freely available at the time. Poet Ahmad Abdul-Haqq, a witness to the period before the “Awakening” movement, said that people could listen to music on radio and, later, on TV.
“We used to look forward to the Saudi TV theater program, which introduced us to the local Saudi stars,” Abdul-Haqq told Arab News.
Saudi music and arts proved resilient in the face of the prevailing religious orthodoxies, he said.
Despite the obstacles placed in their path, Saudis continued to represent their “heritage and the authentic arts and show them to the world,” Abdul-Haqq said.
But when official support began to dry up, some artists focused on the private sector and individual initiatives, while others moved abroad to continue their careers.
With the advent of the “Sahwa” movement, society’s need for music began to be satisfied in other, less visible, ways.
Many Saudis, especially women, took to singing at private gatherings and special occasions such as weddings.
“Awakening” activists tried to fill the vacuum with Islamic Nasheed, a form of religious-themed devotional singing involving minimal use of musical instruments and avoiding romantic themes.
However, those who continued to believe that music was forbidden in Islam created a new kind of music, Shailat, that relied on human sounds and the keyboard.
Muteb Al-Hallaj, a Saudi musician, said Shailat “came at a time when musical concerts were no longer performed in Saudi Arabia.”
“But now we can see that Saudis are thirsty for music. The success of recent concerts organized by the General Entertainment Authority is proof,” Al-Hallaj said.
Saudi Arabia’s first major concert in almost seven years was held in Jeddah in February 2017 when an 8,000-strong crowd sang along to love songs by Rabih Saqr, Mohamad Abdo and Majed Al-Muhandes for more than six hours.
In view of the social changes taking place across the Kingdom, many young Saudis see the current period as a second “Awakening.”
In 2018, the General Culture Authority in Riyadh announced the formation of the Saudi National Music Band, led by Abdel Rab Idris, a prominent Saudi singer and musician who contributed to the Kingdom’s cultural flowering before and after 1979.
With the creation of the General Entertainment Authority in 2016, Saudi Arabia is striving to build a world-class entertainment industry.
The Kingdom’s doors are now open for local, regional and international stars to start tapping into the Kingdom’s potential as a key regional cultural hub.


Riyadh Design Law Treaty signed at intellectual property conference in Saudi Arabia

Updated 20 min 52 sec ago
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Riyadh Design Law Treaty signed at intellectual property conference in Saudi Arabia

  • Document aims to enhance designers’ rights, unify design registration procedures 

RIYADH: Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization officially adopted the Riyadh Design Law Treaty on Friday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The treaty, which aims to enhance designers’ rights and unify design registration procedures, was finalized at the Diplomatic Conference to Conclude and Adopt a Design Law Treaty at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, which finished on Friday.

By establishing a robust legal framework, the Riyadh treaty is set to bolster innovation and creativity across multiple industries worldwide, the SPA added.

Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem, the CEO of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property, spoke of the significance of the treaty’s adoption.

He said: “The name Riyadh treaty reflects Saudi Arabia’s pivotal role as a bridge between cultures and a hub for supporting global initiatives.

“Adopting this treaty is a historic achievement highlighting Saudi Arabia’s cooperation and contribution to the international intellectual property framework. It opens new avenues for collaboration among member states.

“This treaty will lay the foundation for vital legal frameworks that benefit designers and bolster innovation and creativity worldwide.”

The event, which was hosted by the SAIP, gathered high-level representatives and decision-makers from the WIPO’s 193 member states.


Environment minister opens international dates exhibition in Riyadh

Updated 41 min 22 sec ago
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Environment minister opens international dates exhibition in Riyadh

  • About 100 local, international bodies participating

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s environment minister has opened an exhibition in Riyadh which showcases a range of date products and their history.

Abdulrahman Al-Fadli, the Saudi minister of environment, water and agriculture, officially opened the International Dates Conference and Exhibition 2024, organized by the National Center for Palms and Dates. It runs until Nov. 28 with about 100 local and international entities participating.

It is a “global platform to showcase Saudi dates, drive innovation in their processing industries, and enhance their global export potential,” according to organizers.

The exhibition aims to enhance the competitiveness of Saudi products, contributing to the development of the palm and dates sector as a key pillar in driving economic growth.

Visitors can taste date varieties from the different regions of the Kingdom, including Al-Ahsa, Al-Qassim, AlUla, and Al-Jouf.

The exhibition also includes a variety of entertainment activities such as folklore shows, regional poetry, and cooking competitions.

On the sidelines of the opening ceremony, a carbonated sugar-sweetened date drink was launched by Al-Madinah Heritage Company, a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund.

The exhibition also features a museum which takes visitors on a journey through time to explore the history of palm trees and dates over 1,000 years.

The museum showcases manuscripts and agricultural tools that highlight the significance of dates in daily life and literary culture.

It also houses archaeological collections showing the different uses of palm trees through the ages, including as tools.

In addition, there is a live cooking area that brings together local and international chefs to present a range of date-based dishes.

Al-Fadli, along with several officials and foreign delegations, toured the exhibition’s pavilions and explored a range of date-based products, such as juices, baked goods, and date chocolate.


Italian and Saudi flavors blend in embassy dinner and cooking competition

Risotto competition at the "Italy meets KSA" dinner at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. (AN photo)
Updated 22 November 2024
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Italian and Saudi flavors blend in embassy dinner and cooking competition

  • Highlighting similarities between Italian and Saudi cultures that can be sensed in their cuisines, Chiari said: “Both Italy and Saudi Arabia place great importance on hospitality, family, and the tradition of sharing meals

RIYADH: A group of 15 Saudi and Italian chefs created a seven-course dinner titled “Italy meets KSA,” combining both cuisines at Ritz Carlton’s Azzuro Restaurant.

Daniele Chiari, Italian chef and head of Dinner Incredible, the hosts of the event, told Arab News: “Tonight’s event in Riyadh is inspired by the shared love for storytelling and culture through cuisine. As a chef, I see food as a universal language that connects people, and Saudi Arabia’s culinary traditions are incredibly rich and diverse, just like Italy’s.”

Mozzarella demonstration at the "Italy meets KSA" dinner at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. (AN photo)

The event featured a culinary risotto competition between top Saudi chefs, which was won by Omar AlKhaldi, who received a scholarship fund from ALMA, the School of Italian Culinary Arts.

The event also had a display of fresh mozzarella cheese for tasting, made in the Kingdom by Sana cheese company, which specializes in Italian cheeses.

Risotto competition at the "Italy meets KSA" dinner at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. (AN photo)

“This evening, we aim to create a bridge between these two cultures, highlighting how local Saudi ingredients and techniques can harmonize beautifully with Italian culinary artistry,” Chiari said.

The evening concluded with a seven-course tasting dinner highlighting Italian and Saudi flavors. The menu included a pumpkin tart, cream of beans soup with shredded camel meat, a Red Sea grouper served with truffle, and a Saudi-coffee twist on the famous tiramisu.

Red Sea grouper at the "Italy meets KSA" dinner at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. (AN photo)

Highlighting similarities between Italian and Saudi cultures that can be sensed in their cuisines, Chiari said: “Both Italy and Saudi Arabia place great importance on hospitality, family, and the tradition of sharing meals. In terms of food, there’s a deep respect for natural, high-quality ingredients in both cuisines. Just as Italians value simplicity and the authentic taste of their produce, Saudis take pride in the purity and flavor of their spices, grains, and meats.”

Chiari spoke about the ability of food to cross international borders and connect communities.

Rosewater-glazed lamb at the "Italy meets KSA" dinner at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. (AN photo)

“Food is one of the most powerful ways to build connections and foster understanding between cultures. It transcends language, politics, and borders, allowing people to experience something deeply personal yet universally relatable. By crossing international borders through food, we’re not just sharing recipes — we’re sharing history, values, and creativity.”

The competition was organized by the Italian Embassy in Riyadh, the Italian Trade Agency, and ALMA, the School of Italian Culinary Arts, in collaboration with Sitaf and the Royal Protocol.

 

 


Jeddah chamber concludes Global Entrepreneurship Week forum

Updated 10 sec ago
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Jeddah chamber concludes Global Entrepreneurship Week forum

  • Participants were given the opportunity to establish partnerships and agree contracts with local and international companies

JEDDAH: The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Friday concluded the Global Entrepreneurship Week forum.

The two-day event held at the chamber’s headquarters featured the participation of strategic partners such as King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, the Prince Mohammed bin Salman College of Business and Entrepreneurship, Monshaat, the Social Development Bank, the Entrepreneurship National Committee, and other private entities.

The forum emerged from the chamber’s keenness to participate in supporting and motivating more individuals to enter the world of entrepreneurship and to spread the innovation culture among local community members.

Participants established their pavilions where they displayed the latest technologies and sustainable solutions reflecting the development of the entrepreneurial sector, one of the most prominent development pillars in the Kingdom.

At the end of the forum, participants were given the opportunity to establish partnerships and agree contracts with local and international companies, the aim being to promote economic growth throughout the Kingdom in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

 

 


Saudi Artisanal Co. showcases artisanry at Banan 2024 exhibition

Updated 50 min 47 sec ago
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Saudi Artisanal Co. showcases artisanry at Banan 2024 exhibition

  • The Saudi Artisanal Co. will display diverse collections of handicrafts reflecting national heritage

RIYADH: The Saudi Artisanal Co. is showcasing a variety of handicrafts that reflect authentic Saudi heritage in an effort to support artisans during the Saudi International Handicrafts Week Exhibition, or Banan, taking place in Riyadh from Nov. 23 to 29.

The exhibition, organized by the Heritage Commission and in its second edition, brings together more than 500 local and international artisans from over 20 countries.

It offers a distinctive cultural experience through interactive events that promote handicrafts and cultural heritage, focusing on supporting artisans locally and internationally.

The Saudi Artisanal Co. will display diverse collections of handicrafts reflecting national heritage with the aim of fostering innovation and expanding the reach of Saudi artisanry in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals.