Jazz at Lincoln Center goes full swing at Ithra for three nights
The performance included 11 perfectly paced jazz songs with a sonic repertoire
Updated 20 May 2023
Jasmine Bager
DHAHRAN: For three spectacular nights from May 18-20, Jazz at Lincoln Center performed at Ithra for local jazz lovers. For the occasion, the New York-based band dressed in suits, kimonos and traditional Saudi attire performed with Saudi singer Loulwa Al-Sharif.
The performance included 11 perfectly paced jazz songs with a sonic repertoire consisting of classic jazz, Afro-Cuban beats and everything in between. The set list was thoughtful, serving as an audible journey through the history of jazz while also incorporating the culture of the current host country.
In true jazz fashion, it was a night of collaboration and improvisation.
The program included 11 perfectly paced jazz songs that ranged from classic jazz to Afro-Cuban beats. (Supplied)
With the brisk, New York City jazz tempo and the laid-back Sharqiya attitude, the combination was a match made in jazz heaven. Small clusters of seats were situated on each end of the stage to resemble a jazz club setting.
Saudi songstress Al-Sharif brought all audience members to their feet as she entered the stage and was visibly moved by the audience’s fierce applause.
Known for being the first woman to perform publicly in Saudi Arabia, Al-Sharif told the audience she was humbled at the honor of being part of their evening.
The program included 11 perfectly paced jazz songs that ranged from classic jazz to Afro-Cuban beats. (Supplied)
With just a one-hour rehearsal, the band and Al-Sharif were able to capture the essence of the jazz era and customize it to the Dhahran setting, a testament to how music brings cultures together.
With lead vocals by the prodigious trumpet talent Benny Benack III and Tahira Clayton, the duo sang their hearts out to beats by bassist Mark Lewandowski. The music was complete with Charles Goold on drums, Jocelyn Gould on guitar, and Miki Yamanaka on piano.
“I encourage all you guys — you should have your fingers snapping, your toes tapping. I’m not going to tell you to get up in the aisles and dance but I’m not going to stop you,” Benack told the audience at one point.
The program included 11 perfectly paced jazz songs that ranged from classic jazz to Afro-Cuban beats. (Supplied)
With dizzying vocal charms and impressive talents, an enthusiastic audience and a dynamic band on stage, the musical geniuses of jazz greats such as Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Duke Ellington and others were presented. The set included Ellington’s “In a Mellow Tone” and favorites such as Fitzgerald’s “Cheek to Cheek” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.”
Earlier that day, the seats were filled with students from a couple of local schools. Benack shared his experience meeting them: “For some of them, it was their first live music performance ever; it was the first time they’d seen some of these instruments.
“So, I explained to them what swing is. And I said to those students the same thing I’ll say to you guys: Swing is the groove that makes you move.”
The program included 11 perfectly paced jazz songs that ranged from classic jazz to Afro-Cuban beats. (Supplied)
The hour-long event was a true medley of East and West. The ever-popular “What a Wonderful World” seemed to get everyone singing along. The set concluded with a standing ovation that lasted several minutes.
On the first two nights, the show ended with a Q&A session with Ninyaz Aziza, a presenter for Energy Radio.
“I have to say the thing that I’m maybe most really excited about — that I didn’t realize until we came out and played for you because this is our first audience in Saudi — was just how wonderful the audience would be. That is something that I will carry back to New York City.
“If anybody asks, I’m going to say you got to go out to Saudi Arabia. Because they know how to have a good time,” Benack told the crowd to hot applause.
KSrelief opens obstetrics and gynecology clinic at Gaza hospital
The Saudi aid agency launched the new facility in partnership with the UN Population Fund, which works to improve reproductive and maternal health worldwide
The clinic is in the Patient Friends Benevolent Society Hospital, which was founded in 1980 in Gaza City’s Al-Rimal neighborhood
Updated 5 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has officially opened a gynecology and obstetrics clinic at the Patient Friends Benevolent Society Hospital in the Gaza Strip.
Founded in 1980, the hospital in Gaza City’s Al-Rimal neighborhood is one of the few that remain operational in the territory amid devastating attacks by Israeli forces during their ongoing war with Hamas, which began in October 2023.
KSrelief opened the clinic on Wednesday in cooperation with the UN Population Fund, which works to improve reproductive and maternal health worldwide. The initiative is part of Saudi efforts to support the Palestinian people and help improve and maintain the healthcare services available to them, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
On Thursday, Saudi authorities delivered $30 million in funding to the Palestinian Authority. It was the latest installment in ongoing financial support from the Kingdom that Palestinian officials said has been instrumental in efforts to maintain the health and education sectors. It has helped meet the costs of running hospitals, purchasing medicines and medical equipment, keeping schools open, and providing other essential services.
KSrelief inaugurates the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic in a Palestinian hospital in the Gaza Strip. (SPA)
How AI-powered voice tech is bringing Arabic-language content to global audiences
CAMB.AI and Saudi Arabia’s MBC Group have launched a partnership, applying context-aware, real-time translation
AI voice tech preserves tone, emotion, and nuance, transforming how Arabic content is localized across 150+ languages
Updated 27 June 2025
Nada Hameed
JEDDAH: Dubai-based artificial intelligence company CAMB.AI is revolutionizing language localization by building advanced voice and translation models that preserve emotion, nuance and cultural context — especially in complex languages like Arabic.
Through a strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia’s MBC Group, CAMB.AI is scaling this technology across entertainment, education, and spiritual content — unlocking a new era of accessibility for Arabic media.
“At CAMB.AI, we have built translation and voice models that adapt to the nature of the desired language rather than merely mimicking the input,” Akshat Prakash, the company’s chief technical officer and co-founder told Arab News.
Camb.AI chief technical officer and co-founder Akshat Prakash. (Supplied)
“Whether it’s the emotion in the voice or the way certain things are said in Arabic, we are dedicated to preserving nuances, emotions and prosody to deliver what we call a ‘performance-to-performance’ impact.
“We take content and deliver a fully packaged performance through our localization infrastructure built on top of our proprietary AI models — BOLI and MARS.”
CAMB.AI successfully generated multilingual commentary for an MLS NEXT Pro match using AI-driven real-time voice translation and dubbing technology.
Its core capability lies in an AI dubbing platform that instantaneously translates live audio (such as play-by-play commentary) into multiple languages.
The language generator preserves the original speaker’s voice, tone and emotion — making it feel as if the original commentator is speaking the listener’s native language.
“Solving live sports streaming first led us to create technology that could handle the hardest type of content,” said Prakash.
“Today, we livestream games in multiple languages alongside some of the biggest brands in the world — like Major League Soccer, Eurovision and the Australian Open.
“We can perform equally well on other types of content. For instance, we’ve translated complex performances such as the Nayla Al Khaja-directed psychological thriller, ‘Three,’ which was showcased at the Red Sea Film Festival.”
The film was the first Arabic movie to be AI-dubbed into Mandarin Chinese and other complex languages, preserving nuances, context, and emotion while staying true to the director’s original vision.
Today, CAMB.AI excels at delivering culturally and contextually sensitive adaptations of original performances — while maintaining realism — in over 150 languages.
“No technology on the market offers such diversity, realism, and public proof points of what AI can enable in hyper-realistic translation. We’re proud to extend this work to every Arabic dialect — something no other technology has been able to do,” Prakash said.
As global demand for non-English content continues to rise, IMAX is turning to AI to localize its original films and documentaries more efficiently.
In partnership with CAMB.AI, it has delivered content in multiple languages, demonstrating the power of technology to translate complex, dramatic material.
“CAMB.AI has consistently pushed the boundaries of what’s possible — creating AI that delivers real value in the form of revenue and cost efficiencies to global content owners and distributors,” said Prakash.
“We’ve learned that deploying AI requires a hand-in-hand partnership. It takes not only great technology but also great partners who are willing to explore the uncharted. MBC is exactly that kind of partner for us in MENA, establishing what is probably the biggest MediaXAI deal since Runway x Lionsgate.”
Prakash explained that partnering with MBC Group was a natural decision due to its vast scale, diverse content library, and strong regional presence. More significantly, the collaboration was rooted in a shared set of values.
This partnership goes beyond the Runway x Lionsgate deal and sets a new benchmark for how media and AI can collaborate.
MBC Group and CAMB.AI have also taken the lead in regional innovation. With projects like Stargate and HUMAIN, the Middle East and North Africa region is quickly becoming a global hub for powerful, homegrown AI.
Prakash emphasized that CAMB.AI has remained extremely conscious of privacy, data protection and respect for individual attributes.
“While regulatory frameworks are still developing, we have been self-regulating to respect individual rights and content ownership. We drive our business ethically,” he said.
“Our foundation is simple: Not everyone can be a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.”
With one of the most comprehensive Arabic content libraries in the world, MBC Group is uniquely positioned to support more advanced and accurate AI outcomes in this space
Fadel Zahreddine, director for emerging technology at MBC. (Supplied)
The emerging technology team at MBC, led by Fadel Zahreddine, is at the forefront of innovation, aligning perfectly with CAMB.AI’s mission.
“Our content spans the full spectrum of Arab identity, from Gulf dialects to Levantine, North African, and everything in between, capturing not just language, but also tone, emotion and social nuance,” Zahreddine told Arab News.
“Through this collaboration with CAMB.AI, we see an opportunity to contribute data that is not only linguistically rich but also responsibly curated. Our multimodal archive, covering video, audio and text, offers a strong foundation for advanced AI applications that are more contextually aware and locally grounded.”
As one of the region’s largest content producers, MBC Group constantly explores new ways to strengthen connections between programming and global audiences.
“This includes expanding how our content is distributed across platforms like Shahid, satellite TV and digital services,” said Zahreddine. “Enhancing localization is one layer of the broader effort to remove friction between content and audiences.”
DID YOU KNOW?
AI voice tech preserves tone, emotion and nuance, transforming how Arabic content is localized across 150+ languages.
CAMB.AI powers live sports translation for global events like MLS, Eurovision and the Australian Open — in real time.
AI-dubbed Arabic thriller ‘Three’ debuted in Mandarin, highlighting CAMB. AI’s ability to localize content without losing cultural depth.
This collaboration between MBC Group and CAMB.AI reflects a broader effort to explore how Arabic content can connect more meaningfully with non-native-speaking audiences.
By moving beyond literal translation and toward context-sensitive localization, the partnership supports a more accurate and respectful representation of original creative work
For Arabic creators and producers, this opens up the possibility of reaching wider audiences while maintaining the cultural authenticity that defines their storytelling.
It is not about changing the content but about removing barriers that might limit how it is experienced in other cultural contexts.
MBC Group approaches innovation through the same lens that has shaped its editorial philosophy for decades — grounded in cultural integrity, social responsibility, and a strong commitment to its audiences.
“We believe that technology and ethics are not separate conversations but (are) deeply connected — especially when building tools that shape how content is consumed and understood,” said Zahreddine.
“We have around 65 nationalities working at MBC. Our multicultural environment is reflected in the cultural sensitivity of our content production.
“Our extensive media library is developed (with) high ethical standards, avoiding obscene content, excessive violence or any form of hate speech. This discipline not only protects the integrity of our content but also makes it a reliable data foundation for engaging with AI and emerging technologies.”
By sharing responsibly curated material, MBC Group contributes to the development of AI models that better reflect the ethical values embedded in its programming and are aligned with audience expectations.
Zahreddine added: “While AI continues to evolve rapidly, we believe it’s essential that any advancement remains anchored in principles that respect culture, identity and shared community standards.”
Jazan car dealerships undergo official inspections
Updated 26 June 2025
Arab News
JAZAN: Inspection teams from the Saudi Ministry of Commerce have visited more than 130 car dealerships and showrooms in Jazan this week.
The inspections are part of the ministry’s ongoing monitoring activities throughout the region to ensure all vehicles in such outlets comply with requirements to display a fuel economy label.
Labels display clear information about a vehicle’s fuel consumption in a bid to encourage consumers to choose more efficient vehicles, with an overall aim of promoting fuel conservation.
The fuel economy label was developed and implemented as part of the Saudi Energy Efficiency Program’s initiatives to provide consumers with information about the most energy-efficient vehicles.
Official figures show that 8,029 patent applications were submitted in the country in 2024, an increase of 13.3 percent on the previous year
Updated 26 June 2025
SPA
RIYADH: Support provided by Saudi authorities for scientific research, innovation and university teaching have been credited for recent achievements by innovators in the Kingdom.
Official figures show that 8,029 patent applications were submitted in the country in 2024, an increase of 13.3 percent on the previous year. In addition, 31,834 trademarks and 1,578 industrial designs were registered, and 4,355 patents were published.
Investment in research and development in Saudi Arabia increased to SR22.6 billion ($6 billion) in 2023, a 17.4 percent increase compared with 2022.
Recent examples of Saudi innovators honored with awards for research and innovation at international events included ophthalmologist Dr. Saad Al-Anzi, who won the grand prize at the Geneva International Exhibition in April this year for inventing a cost-effective surgical tool for cataract operations, while six other Saudi innovators received global awards at the event and 134 received global medals.
And 39 students from King Abdulaziz University received a global award at the IENA Expo for ideas, inventions and new products in Germany last October.
Saudi Arabia provides $30m in support for Palestinian Authority
Financial aid from the Kingdom has been instrumental in sustaining the health and education sectors in Palestine, finance minister says
The total value of support provided by Saudi authorities for the Palestinian people over the years exceeds $5.3bn
Updated 26 June 2025
Arab News
LONDON: Saudi Arabia has delivered $30 million to the Palestinian Authority to help alleviate the severe financial crisis it faces, which is blamed on Israeli policies designed to weaken it.
The assistance was presented in Amman on Thursday to the Palestinian minister of finance, Omar Al-Bitar, by Mohammed Mounis, the acting chargé d’affaires at the Saudi Embassy in Jordan.
Al-Bitar commended the Kingdom for the ongoing financial and political support it provides for Palestinians and their rights to independence and statehood. He thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their leadership, and acknowledged the political, economic and humanitarian support they provide for his country.
The minister added that the money given by Saudi Arabia is a significant contribution that is helping the Palestinian Authority cope with a financial crisis that is exacerbated by the policies of a far-right Israeli government.
The financial support has been instrumental to the Palestinian Authority’s efforts to maintain the health and education sectors, the Palestine News Agency reported. It has helped meet the costs of running hospitals, purchasing medicines and medical equipment, keeping schools open, and paying the salaries of medical staff, teachers and administrative workers.
Over the years, support provided by the Kingdom for the Palestinian people has exceeded $5.3 billion for a total of 289 projects, according to figures from Saudi aid agency KSrelief.
Mounis said his country remains committed to support for the Palestinian government, to help it fulfill its financial obligations and assist its people during this time of economic and humanitarian hardship, the Saudi Press Agency reported. He reaffirmed the Kingdom’s steadfast support for upholding the rights of the Palestinian people.
