JEDDAH: Lebanese star Hiba Tawaji will be among the first female singers ever to perform in Saudi Arabia when she plays a women-only show at the King Fahad Cultural Center in Riyadh on Dec. 6, according to an entertainment calendar issued by the Kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority.
Tawaji rose to international fame in 2015 when she reached the semifinals of France’s version of TV talent show “The Voice.”
But she was already establishing herself as a talent to watch before her stint on the show. Since 2007 she has worked extensively with the acclaimed Lebanese composer Oussama Rahbani, who produced her 2014 album “Ya Habibi” and with whom she has regularly collaborated, providing vocals for his compositions.
With a reported four-octave range, Tawaji performs in both French and Arabic, concentrating mainly on epic, classical-style tracks.
This year saw the release of her well-received self-titled fifth album, which featured the track “Helm” — the video for which has accumulated more than 1 million views on YouTube.
Aside from her pop music, Tawaji is also an actress, director, and musical theater star perhaps best known for her performance in Rahbani’s adaptation of “Don Quixote.”
Tawaji’s high-profile shows at Casion du Liban and Batroun International Festival drew rave reviews from local media, and Saudi fans will no doubt be eagerly anticipating a similar stellar performance in Riyadh next month.
Lebanese soprano Hiba Tawaji to perform in Riyadh
Lebanese soprano Hiba Tawaji to perform in Riyadh
Egypt’s grand museum begins live restoration of King Khufu’s ancient boat
- The 4,600-year-old boat was built during the reign of King Khufu, the pharaoh who also commissioned the Great Pyramid of Giza
CAIRO: Egypt began a public live restoration of King Khufu’s ancient solar boat at the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum on Tuesday, more than 4,000 years after the vessel was first built.
Egyptian conservators used a small crane to carefully lift a fragile, decayed plank into the Solar Boats Museum hall — the first of 1,650 wooden pieces that make up the ceremonial boat of the Old Kingdom pharaoh.
The 4,600-year-old boat was built during the reign of King Khufu, the pharaoh who also commissioned the Great Pyramid of Giza. The vessel was discovered in 1954 in a sealed pit near the pyramids, but its excavation did not begin until 2011 due to the fragile condition of the wood.
“You are witnessing today one of the most important restoration projects in the 21st century,” Egyptian Tourism Minister Sherif Fathy said.
“It is important for the museum, and it is important for humanity and the history and the heritage.”
The restoration will take place in full view of visitors to the Grand Egyptian Museum over the coming four years.
