Abha festival in Saudi Arabia shines spotlight on world’s mountain cultures

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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (SPA)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (SPA)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (SPA)
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CEO of the Ministry of Culture’s Theater and Performing Arts Commission Sultan Al-Bazie. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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The third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites. (Supplied)
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Updated 24 January 2024
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Abha festival in Saudi Arabia shines spotlight on world’s mountain cultures

  • Historic sites of the Kingdom hosting local, international dance performances
  • 20 Saudi groups and 25 international groups from countries like Argentina, Spain, Uganda, Mexico and Peru paraded through the streets

JEDDAH: A festival to celebrate the cultural heritage of the world’s mountain regions is leaving a mark on the landscape of Saudi Arabia’s Asir region.

Organized by the Ministry of Culture’s Theater and Performing Arts Commission, the week-long third Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts will run until Jan. 27 across eight archaeological sites, showcasing the rich tapestry of mountain performing arts and drawing visitors from around the world.

The festival’s opening day featured an outdoor carnival parade along Prince Sultan Road in Khamis Mushayt. A total of 20 Saudi groups and 25 international groups from countries like Argentina, Spain, Uganda, Mexico and Peru paraded through the streets, presenting more than 40 mountain styles in diverse and colorful costumes.

For centuries, mountainous cultures have maintained traditions in some of the world’s most isolated places, preserving distinctive linguistic and cultural heritage that is rarely seen or heard by wider society. The Saudi cultural extravaganza not only entertained audiences, but also provided a glimpse into some of the oldest traditional dances from around the world.

Following the parade, Sultan Al-Bazie, CEO of the commission, told Arab News: “At the Theater and Performing Arts Commission, we are committed to hosting high-quality cultural events. We firmly believe that the uniqueness of mountain performance arts is unique and internationally recognized.”

The festival, which in 2022 began as a local event for the Kingdom’s mountain regions — from Tabuk in the north to Jazan, Najran and Asir in the south — has evolved into an international platform, creating global cross-cultural dialogue.

The second edition of the festival involved 14 countries and featured 16 Saudi groups presenting traditional dances from across the Kingdom.

This year, in its third edition, the festival further increased the number of countries represented, covering almost all the world’s continents, the commission reported.

Abha, the first city in the Kingdom to win the Capital of Arab Tourism title in 2017, played a significant role in hosting the celebrations.

Al-Bazie said: “The main goal of this event is to draw comparisons between mountain performances around the world. We find many commonalities, whether in rhythms, performances or body movements. This cultural blend between world nations provides diversity, connecting different cultures and giving the Saudi audience in the Asir region a chance to experience performing arts from around the world.”

In the audience was well-known Bahraini YouTuber Omar Al-Farooq, also known as “Omar Tries.” He told Arab News: “Despite traveling to many countries and continents, this massive carnival parade made me realize how vast the world is with its diverse cultures and traditions. I am now excited to visit these countries and explore their arts further.”

He added: “The lively spirit of the Latin American performances was especially beautiful and engaging.

This year’s event features 13 Saudi folk performances from the Asir region, five from Al-Baha, three from Najran, one from Tabuk, one from Madinah, one from Taif and two from Jazan.

Mashari Aseery, a local father of two daughters, said: “The festival was incredible! The energy, the music, and the overall vibe were just amazing. It was such a great way to celebrate our local culture and showcase the performance arts of our ancestors.”

Another Abha local, Salma Al-Malki, who is studying fashion design, said: “I attended the festival for the first time this year, and I was blown away. The organizers did a fantastic job of bringing together a diverse range of performers and activities from around the world. The highlight for me was the fashion area, where I got to explore more about ancient fashion from across the globe.”

The opening night ended with a musical concert with Yemeni singer Fouad Abdulwahed and Lebanese singer Melhem Zein, who captivated a large audience with Lebanese songs and diverse dabke performances.

Dabke, a folklore dance popular across the Levant, and Lebanon in particular, involves performers — both men and women — forming a row, an arc or a circle. The first dancer leads the performance and guides the direction of the group, as well as displays extra motions that showcase his skill.

During the six-day festival, daily performances by 45 Saudi and international groups are taking place in eight heritage villages: Basta Al-Qabil, Shamsan Castle, Bin Adwan Heritage Village, Malik Historical Palace, Al-Mushait Palaces, Al-Abo Sarrah Palaces, the Castles of Abu Nuqata Al-Mutahmi and Bin Hamsan Village.

The villages are also hosting antique shops, live music performances, fashion displays, local food areas, art platforms, children’s activities and more.

The Qemam festival also features seminars and workshops on folkloric traditions, including the history of dabke, among other topics.

The festival has raised awareness of the theater and performing arts sector as a vital cultural field, and has also created job opportunities for talented people in the region.

The commission’s commitment to fostering international cultural exchange aligns with the goals of the National Cultural Strategy under the umbrella of Saudi Vision 2030.

The festival will conclude with a grand carnival parade and a closing musical concert.


Immersive installation takes center stage at Quoz Arts Fest with ENESS’s ‘Forest Dancer’

Updated 26 January 2025
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Immersive installation takes center stage at Quoz Arts Fest with ENESS’s ‘Forest Dancer’

DUBAI: As part of this year’s Quoz Arts Fest in Dubai, ENESS, the Australian-based creative studio, will debut an immersive light and sound installation titled “Forest Dancer and the Path to Pure Creation” at Concrete in Alserkal Avenue on Jan. 25-26. 

ENESS founder Nimrod Wies said that the installation symbolized “freedom and joy through creativity.”

“The artwork promotes the idea that embracing your creative gifts positively impacts those around you and inspires you to find your place in humanity through art,” he said. “We hope that visitors experience joy and playfulness in our exhibition and take away from it the inspiration to fill their lives with creativity and expression.”

The installation features inflatables packed with computers controlling sound, lightplay and motion-tracking LED eyes. “The biggest challenge is that we arrive from the other side of the world and we work all hours to create a completely immersive artwork that takes over any space that it occupies,” Wies said.

“The most rewarding part of my journey has been to exhibit all over the world and see different people respond to the artworks. I love seeing the appreciation audiences feel and experience, and hearing their joyful feedback.”

Speaking about the festival’s appeal, Wies said: “Working with Quoz Arts Fest suits the ENESS vision because we love to be involved in local cultures and bring our work to thriving areas with all-ages audiences who are open to new ideas. We think that the Alserkal neighborhood is the coolest place in Dubai.”

Wies said that public art created opportunities for alternate behavior and emotion. “Public spaces are generally relatively codified with clear designations for what sort of behavior is undertaken where. However, the introduction of public art can reconfigure a space visually, emotionally and behaviorally.”

Looking ahead, Wies said: “We have works coming up all around the world. We are looking forward to our next experience in Saudi Arabia.”


Rare Vatican artifacts on show at Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah

Updated 25 January 2025
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Rare Vatican artifacts on show at Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah

  • More than 500 historic items, contemporary artworks on display
  • 1685 Nile map’s journey to Jeddah a ‘cultural milestone’

JEDDAH: A six-meter map of the Nile believed to be more than 300 years old has left its home in the Vatican archives for the first time to become the centerpiece of the second Islamic Arts Biennale launched in Jeddah on Saturday.

Visitors to Jeddah’s Western Hajj Terminal, the biennale venue, can see the map along with 10 other artifacts from the Vatican Library.

The historic chart, drawn with watercolor ink on Venetian paper and depicting historic sites along the Nile, has been dated to around 1685.

Display space is divided into several sections, each blending Islamic cultural heritage with contemporary interpretations. (Supplied)

Its inclusion in the biennale marks a cultural milestone, showcasing the Vatican’s commitment to interreligious and intercultural dialogue, according to Vatican archivist and librarian Angelo Vincenzo Zani.

The map underwent restoration by the Vatican before making the journey to Jeddah. It is displayed alongside a sister map of the Arabian Gulf from the National Library of Qatar.

Both maps are believed to have been acquired in the 1700s in Constantinople by Giuseppe Alemanni, a Lebanese librarian who later became the Vatican Library’s prefect.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Organized by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, the exhibition in Jeddah explores faith by juxtaposing contemporary and newly commissioned artworks with historical objects from Islamic cultures.

• More than 30 cultural institutions have provided objects from their collections, as well as 29 newly commissioned works of art.

Zani attended the biennale’s opening ceremony and later told Arab News that the artifacts highlight a rich history of cultural exchange and shared knowledge.

The Islamic Arts Biennale features more than 500 historical artifacts and contemporary artworks, including treasures from Makkah, Madinah, and around the world. (Supplied)

“I think this Islamic Arts Biennale is very important. The concept of art is very important — to expand knowledge and creativity. Art is an emotion that we can all understand. It can cross over in a dialogue that is ‘in between’.”

The 2025 biennale’s theme, “And all that is in between,” draws from the Qur’anic verse “And God created the Heavens and the Earth and all that is in between.”

The Vatican Library is also showcasing several works from its collections in “The Art of Numbers” display at Al-Madar section of the biennale.

Display space is divided into several sections, each blending Islamic cultural heritage with contemporary interpretations. (Supplied)

Al-Madar, or “The Orbit” section, features items from 20 institutions with significant Islamic art collections worldwide.

The section examines the role of numbers in collective history, exploring their origins in natural calculations and applications across Islamic culture, mathematics, architecture, music, design, celestial and terrestrial mapping, ocean navigation, trade and geometric patterns in Qur’anic decoration.

Heather Ecker, Al-Madar’s curator, said the Vatican Library, which was established in the Middle Ages, is the oldest taking part in Al-Madar.

The Islamic Arts Biennale will run in Jeddah until may 25. (Supplied)

“The Vatican has Arabic manuscripts on virtually any subject, and has a large collection of early Qur’ans. It has early translations of the Qur’an, of which we are exhibiting several,” she said.

Ecker said the Nile map appears to have been linked to a travel log and is a visual record of a journey.

“The maps were created from the written text and from memory, apparently,” she said.

The Islamic Arts Biennale features more than 500 historical artifacts and contemporary artworks, including treasures from Makkah, Madinah, and around the world. (Supplied)

“It’s not a map as we conceive it, because it is image with text, with annotations that correspond to observations made during the voyage and notes taken. It collapses geography in a certain way, so it scrunches up the land between the Nile and the Red Sea, for example, in order to include more sites such as Jeddah.”

The map has been in the Vatican since the late 18th century, but had never been restored and was first shown in 2021, Ecker said. The Diriyah Biennale Foundation helped fund its restoration and conservation.

“It’s much brighter now,” Ecker said. “The paper is much more supple now, so it’s really vastly improved, and it’s much easier to exhibit and for people to appreciate. That was a big undertaking, and important in the field of conservation preservation.”

Organized by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, the Jeddah exhibition explores faith by juxtaposing contemporary and newly commissioned artworks with historical objects from Islamic cultures.

The event has built on the success of the first biennale, and is bigger in scale and ambition, Aya Al-Bakree, CEO of the foundation, told Arab News.

This year, more than 30 cultural institutions have provided objects from their collections, as well as 29 newly commissioned works of art.

“The biennale is rooted in Saudi Arabia and has become a clear landmark on the international stage as well. We are excited to share this exhibition with audiences from near and far,” Al-Bakree added.

Display space is divided into several sections, each blending Islamic cultural heritage with contemporary interpretations.

The inaugural Islamic Arts Biennale in 2023 attracted more than 600,000 visitors. The 2025 edition will feature more than 500 historical artifacts and contemporary artworks, including treasures from Makkah, Madinah, and around the world.

The 2025 curatorial team is led by Julian Raby, Amin Jaffer, and Abdul Rahman Azzam, with Saudi artist Muhannad Shono as curator of contemporary art.

The Islamic Arts Biennale will run until May 25.

 


Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer wows fans in Riyadh  

Updated 25 January 2025
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Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer wows fans in Riyadh  

RIYADH: Renowned composer Hans Zimmer performed on Friday at the Mohammed Abdo Arena in Saudi Arabia as part of the Riyadh Season events. 

The Oscar-winning composer performed a selection of compositions from films such as “Dune,” “Wonder Woman,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Interstellar,” “The Lion King” and “No Time to Die.” 

The concert concluded with enthusiastic applause, marking a memorable highlight of the Riyadh Season. (Supplied)

The music was accompanied by interactive visual projections and stage effects that complemented the performance and highlighted its theme. 

The concert, which sold out immediately on ticket release, concluded with enthusiastic applause, marking a memorable highlight of the Riyadh Season.

Zimmer expressed his gratitude to the Riyadh Season audience in a recorded message at the end of the concert, thanking them for their enthusiasm and energy.

Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, revealed this week that the composer is working on a new interpretation of Saudi Arabia’s national anthem. 

The post continued that the German composer was also offered the chance to create the soundtrack for the upcoming Saudi Arabia film, “The Battle of Yarmouk.”

Zimmer attended the Kingdom’s Joy Awards on Jan. 18, which honors the achievements of artists in the Arab world.


Gwen Stefani to perform in the UAE in February

Updated 25 January 2025
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Gwen Stefani to perform in the UAE in February

DUBAI: US pop star Gwen Stefani is set to perform in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 21 as part of the city’s Saadiyat Nights, marking her first-ever performance in the UAE capital.

The triple Grammy Award winner will take the stage just 24 hours before legendary US singer Lionel Richie closes the event on Feb. 22.

The three-month open-air music series will also feature performances by Egyptian composer Omar Khairat on Feb. 1, British musician Sting on Feb. 3, Lebanese music icon Magida El-Roumi on Feb. 10 and US pop star Christina Aguilera on Feb. 15.

Artists who have already performed include Grammy-winning Michael Buble, Russian band Leningrad, US R&B group Boyz II Men, British singer Robbie Williams and Iranian singer Ebi.

Stefani has achieved global recognition as a songwriter, performer, and frontwoman of the US rock band No Doubt, and as a multi-platinum solo artist. Over the course of her career, she has received numerous awards, including four MTV Video Music Awards, two Billboard Awards, an American Music Award and a Brit Award.

Stefani has sold over 60 million records worldwide, combining her success with No Doubt and her solo career. Her 2004 debut solo album, “Love. Angel. Music. Baby.,” achieved multi-platinum status and included chart-topping hits like “Hollaback Girl,” which became the first digital download to sell over 1 million copies in the US.

Stefani is no stranger to Emirati culture. In 2019, she performed in Dubai at the Dubai World Cup. During her visit, the singer immersed herself in Emirati culture, embracing the quintessential tourist experience by taking a desert safari, dining in a desert tent, watching a falcon show, riding a camel, covering her face and hair with a headscarf, shopping at the perfume souk, and visiting the iconic Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

Saadiyat Nights is part of the Abu Dhabi Calendar’s year-round schedule of events, which includes music, sports, comedy, family-friendly shows, cultural festivals and art exhibitions.

Held on Saadiyat Island, the concert series is set against the backdrop of the Saadiyat Cultural District, pristine beaches, and luxurious resorts.

The inaugural edition of Saadiyat Nights, which ran from January to March 2024, featured a lineup of artists, including American stars Mariah Carey, John Legend, and Alicia Keys, Iranian singer Googoosh, and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.


Princess Iman of Jordan is expecting her first child 

Updated 24 January 2025
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Princess Iman of Jordan is expecting her first child 

DUBAI: Jordan’s Princess Iman bint Abdullah II and her husband, Jameel Alexander Thermiotis, are expecting their first child.

Queen Rania, the princess’s mother, shared the news on Instagram with a photo of the couple at sunset by the beach, highlighting the mother-to-be’s baby bump. “Two is a couple, three is a blessing,” the Queen captioned the image.

This will be the second grandchild for Queen Rania and King Abdullah II. Their first grandchild, born in August, is the daughter of Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah and Princess Rajwa Al-Hussein. She was named Iman in honor of her aunt.