RIYADH: Music-lovers took a dazzling journey from past to present at the King Fahd Cultural Center as “Spirit of the Dance” fused traditional Irish song and dance with fiery flamenco and sultry tango rhythms.
The award-winning dance performance — now in its 20th year — has been seen by more than 30 million people around the world and has broken box office records in more than 20 countries.
“Spirit of the Dance” is being staged in the Kingdom for the first time by the Knight Group together with the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), which last month announced an entertainment bonanza, with more than 5,000 events scheduled this year.
Knight Group founder and CEO Fouad Halabi told Arab News: “The GEA has been very helpful showcasing this world-famous show. For us, as an organizer and producer, it was not feasible at the beginning to bring such a great show here, but the GEA was instrumental in understanding how the show should be organized to respect both the local and Irish culture.
“Now we are very excited about this breathtaking show. We hope after seeing the performances, people will learn about the Irish culture,
about this art.”
The GEA was established in line with the goals of Vision 2030 to diversify the entertainment sector and broaden the range of entertainment options. Opera and jazz have been featured recently.
“Spirit of the Dance” will travel to Jeddah for performances on March 15-16 at the King Abdullah Economic City.
The Irish ambassador in Riyadh, Tony Cotter, one of several diplomats at Thursday’s show, said: “I am happy to see the amount of social change taking place in Saudi Arabia — it is fantastic to see famous Irish dance being performed on stage in the Kingdom.”
Commenting on the Kingdom’s growing entertainment sector, Cotter said: “There is a huge development in this area. The GEA is doing a superb job bringing different forms of entertainment to the Kingdom — we have seen opera, jazz concert, now this ‘Spirit of the Dance’ show. I can see a bright future for the entertainment sector here.”
The “Spirit of the Dance” stars mesmerized their audience, delivering the powerful rhythms of Irish dance combined with the passionate Latino rhythms of tango, flamenco, and red-hot salsa.
Jameela Balahmar, a marketing specialist with Mobily, told Arab News: ” I am a big fan of the Irish dance, and was really excited to watch this event. Now, seeing it live, is truly an amazing experience for me and my generation, especially for women in Saudi Arabia.”
The show coincided with International Women’s Day.
“Earlier, we were having to watch it on YouTube and television or travel to experience it. Thanks to the GEA and the Knight Group for bringing it here — making a dream come true to watch it live in my hometown.”
Abdullah Ramadhan, a project manager with the IT giant Dell, said: “This show is absolutely amazing. Everybody applauds the efforts of the GEA. For a long time, we were not exposed to different cultures and lifestyles in the world, so it makes a lot of sense now as the world moves closer to be more and more connected. It is good that our authorities are now inviting famous groups from various parts of the world so we can experience their culture and learn about their society.
“Assimilation of cultures from different parts of the world with our local heritage is important. If you are exposed to different cultures, it is a good learning experience,” he said.
‘Spirit of the Dance’ stars dazzle audiences in Riyadh with Irish, Falmenco fused rhythms
‘Spirit of the Dance’ stars dazzle audiences in Riyadh with Irish, Falmenco fused rhythms
Project to save Historic Jeddah buildings completed thanks to SR50m from Saudi crown prince
- The work on the ‘architecturally important’ structures was carried out as part of the Ministry of Culture’s Historic Jeddah restoration program
- Many buildings and sites in the district are being restored to help preserve and illustrate the history of the Hajj since the dawn of Islam
RIYADH: Several historic buildings in Jeddah that were on the verge of collapse have been saved thanks to a Ministry of Culture project personally funded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The ministry said the work on the “architecturally important” structures was carried out as part of its Historic Jeddah restoration program. The funding for the project included a personal donation of SR50 million ($13.3 million) from the crown prince, officials said.
The Historic Jeddah district contains more than 600 buildings, including 36 mosques, as well as five marketplace sites, ancient squares, and other locations of historical importance, such as the Waterfront, that were vital stopping-off points for Muslim pilgrims in days gone by. Many are being restored and renovated to help preserve and illustrate the history of the Hajj since the dawn of Islam.
Based on directives from the crown prince, the restoration work was carried out by five specialist companies based in Saudi Arabia, officials said, under the supervision of technicians experienced in the preservation of historic buildings. Special care was taken to maintain the unique design and distinctive urban characteristics of the district, they added.
Some of the buildings that were saved, which belong to Jeddah families, have archaeological features dating back as far as 500 years.
Saudi Arabia to be guest of honor at Beijing Book Fair
BEIJING: The Saudi Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission and the China National Publications Import and Export Group Corporation have signed a contract to host Saudi Arabia as the guest of honor at the Beijing International Book Fair, to be held this year between June 19 and 23 in the Chinese capital.
The signing ceremony was attended by Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission CEO Dr. Mohammed Hasan Alwan, and officials from the Chinese side.
Saudi participation in the fair is astep toward strengthening cultural exchange, boosting cooperation in literature, culture, and the arts, and promoting dialogue and boosting friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
Several other Saudi entities will participate in the fair to highlight the heritage, knowledge, and cultural diversity of the Kingdom through a diverse cultural program, including seminars, dialogue sessions, workshops, and artistic performances.
The Kingdom was the guest of honor at the New Delhi International Book Fair, held between Feb. 10 and 18; and will be the guest of honor, after Beijing, at the Seoul International Book Fair, from June 26 to 30, 2024.
Saudi Green Initiative in Makkah aims to promote sustainable development, afforestation
RIYADH: The State Properties General Authority has provided the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and the Alahyaa Centers Association with seedlings produced at its agricultural nursery in Makkah.
The contribution is part of the authority’s efforts to support sustainable development and afforestation while upgrading the vegetation cover, and took place on Saudi Green Initiative Day on March 27.
Schemes include building and operating an agricultural nursery and equipping it with the newest systems to enhance production capacity and create an enabling environment for plant growth.
The project has led to the creation of 110,000 square meters of green spaces within the authority’s government compounds in Makkah, in addition to the distribution of plants, large trees and shrubs to more than 40 government entities.
The authority said that the nursery’s annual production includes 1.2 million plants that bloom in winter and in summer; 200,000 perennials and vines; 20,000 outdoor trees; 30,000 shrubs; and 5,000 indoor plants.
Saudi, Azerbaijani ministers discussed climate action cooperation
Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman met in Jeddah Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan’s minister of ecology and natural resources, and also president of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The COP29 Conference takes place in November in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The two ministers discussed opportunities for cooperation in the field of climate action. They also spoke about working together to achieve the goals and principles of the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Paris Agreement.
The parties also looked at the Kingdom’s efforts and initiatives to address the effects of climate change.
Saudi Arabia announces cultural cooperation award with China
- The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Award for Cultural Cooperation culminate in an annual ceremony honoring the two countries’ shared cultural talent
RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Culture announced on Thursday the launch of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Award for Cultural Cooperation between Saudi Arabia and China, at the King Abdulaziz Public Library branch in Beijing, Saudi Press Agency reported.
This award aims to acknowledge the efforts of researchers, artists and translators from both countries, offering grants to support their continuing work. It is designed to spur enhanced collaboration and shared creative efforts.
The award includes several categories — cultural research and studies, artistic and creative works, translations, and a cultural personality of the year from each country, recognizing significant contributions to culture.
Additional categories target young researchers, creators and translators, encouraging youth engagement in cross-cultural communication. An annual ceremony will highlight the cultural achievements and award winners.
The award will promote creative cooperation and cultural dialogue between Saudi Arabia and China by highlighting the two countries’ achievements in the academic, cultural, media, literary and artistic communities.
It will culminate in an annual ceremony honoring the two countries’ shared cultural talent and announcing the winners in each category.
Saudi Culture Minister Prince Bader bin Abdullah said that the award was a critical component in bridging cultural divides and strengthening ties between China and Saudi Arabia through the arts, literature and academic research.
Individuals from Saudi Arabia and China, as well as government, private and non-profit institutions, may submit nominations. They can be submitted by filling out the nomination form, which will be posted on the award website.
On the same day, the Saudi Film Commission, a government body under the culture ministry, signed a framework memorandum of understanding with China’s Bona Film Group to explore collaborative opportunities in movie distribution, exhibition and talent development.
Bona Film Group, founded in 1999, has emerged as one of China’s leading movie distribution and production companies.
The signing ceremony in Beijing was attended by Prince Badr, Film Commission CEO Abdullah Al-Eyaf, and Bona Film Group CFO Qi Zhi.
The MoU outlines key areas of cooperation, such as investment in the film industry, the possibility of establishing a joint film fund dedicated to cinematic endeavors, and collaboration on Saudi film distribution in China. It also looks into talent development opportunities for Saudi filmmakers through Bona Film Group productions and Chinese film education institutions.
In accordance with this agreement, the Film Commission intends to develop the movie industry, improve local production and showcase Saudi productions. The commission also promotes investment, content production, talent development and regulatory frameworks.
The historic agreement reflects the commission’s commitment to fostering global partnerships and leveraging cultural exchanges as a key component of Saudi Vision 2030 objectives.