JEDDAH: A weekend of Turkish musical culture was presented at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), as prominent Turkish artists collaborated in a two-day event that ended on Friday.
Hüsnü Senlendirici, along with bandmates Ismael Tunçbilek and Aytaç Doğan, are the members of the Turkish musical group known as Taksim Trio. In demand in their native Turkey, they are now touring Europe and the Middle East, showcasing their unique and creative twist on traditional Turkish folk music.
Performing with instruments dating back to the Ottoman era, such as the baglama and qanun, these classical solo instruments fused in a triad of synchronizing sounds that reverberated throughout KAEC.
Also performing was Cafer Nazlibas, who plays a traditional Turkish wooden three-stringed violin known as the kabak kemane. This instrument, when amplified, creates a melodic fusion of classic Turkish folk, influenced with elements of Jazz, which produces intriguing songs with an unparallelled sound. His music blends familiar and new sounds that evoke feelings of happiness and sadness, consistently projecting a dichotomy of contradictory emotions.
One concertgoer Alia Sulaiman told Arab News: “I love attending concerts, but I wasn’t sure what to expect. I attended with my friends out of curiosity and we all found it very enjoyable. Turkish music resonates with our culture. The songs were a nice reflection of several individual musical identities rolled into one.”
Another concertgoer, Mehmet Sahin, told Arab News: “I’m here visiting family from Turkey; they’ve been living in Jeddah for more than 20 years. This is the first time that I have found many different fun events to enjoy. I never thought I would go to a Turkish concert in Jeddah. It was a beautiful show.”
Sahin was referring to the new entertainment options in the Kingdom made possible by the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), a government body established to develop and grow the entertainment sector in Saudi Arabia.
Coinciding with Vision 2030, the GEA works to offer concerts and other fun activities to the public in a professional, well-organized, and high-quality manner.
Turkish folk group provide sweet treats for musical palates in Jeddah
Turkish folk group provide sweet treats for musical palates in Jeddah
Related
Jeddah Fit Expo 2026 offers inspiration, innovation
- Sports, fitness, wellness in spotlight at Jeddah Superdome
- Gyms and fitness brands offer visitors a wide range of interactive experiences
JEDDAH: Jeddah Superdome welcomed more than 1,000 athletes of all ages on Wednesday for a heart-pounding session which placed sports, fitness and wellness in the spotlight.
The Jeddah Fit Expo 2026 is taking place until Jan. 31 and visitors on the first day were treated to a heady environment filled with high-intensity energy and in which cutting-edge fitness trends met the inspirational spirit of sportsmanship.
More than 300 brands and over 200 exhibitors engaged in in-depth exchanges and interactions according to organizers, while jointly forging an event for the global sports and fitness industry.
Mohammed Al-Aidarous, from the event’s organizing committee, told Arab News the expo aimed to spread the culture of fitness as a daily lifestyle and sought to encourage best international expertise and practices, while empowering and developing local sports talents.
He said: “The sports and fitness industry is a rapidly growing sector globally. Especially in Saudi Arabia, there is an increasing focus on health and fitness among the general public. Consequently there is a growing demand for fitness-related products and services.”
The exhibition, which is in its fourth edition, has brought together suppliers of fitness equipment and sports and leisure products, along with representatives from nutrition and health sectors, wellness clinics, youth sports education, and artificial intelligence solution providers.
Many of the participants are introducing new products to meet changing market trends, leveraging the national fitness policies, deeply exploring market demand, and expanding their presence in the sports industry market, thereby providing users with more professional services.
Gyms and fitness brands at the event are offering visitors a wide range of interactive, educational and commercial opportunities designed to promote healthy lifestyles while showcasing the latest industry innovations.
Danya Aljamal, an event coordinator at GymNation, said: “We are here to show sports enthusiasts who we are and what we can do to make them change their lifestyle with sports. GymNation is about enjoying your time, having fun, challenging yourself and making the best form of your body.”
She added: “We will be offering visitors our famous Hyrox class. It is designed to help enhance your strength and explosive power through a combination of targeted, high-intensity exercises and I hope people enjoy it.”
AI is rapidly reshaping athletic training environments. The exhibition features platforms that analyze an athlete’s movement, track progress, and offer automated corrections.
Saudi entrepreneur Mohammed Kaki, founder and CEO of FitLife, an Al-powered health-tech startup delivering B2B personalized nutrition and wellness plans, said: “We are proud to share the FitLife platform and feel excited to take these insights and relationships to the next level during this three-day event.
“FitLife is an app developed to make people’s fitness journey much easier and more convenient. Our algorithms were developed to produce accurate programs with a full range of workouts and recipes designed to fit people’s daily schedule and preferences.
“Our objective at FitLife is to foster growth and revolutionize the way people perceive health and fitness.”
Kaki indicated that the startup was also aiming to support coaches and specialists in sports and health organizations through AI solutions.
Beyond the exhibition stands and workshops, bodybuilding, calisthenics, taekwondo and volleyball are among the activities taking place at Jeddah Superdome.
