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
Music, art, local dishes stir the senses at Diriyah’s Ramadan market
- Live cooking, henna stations, oud and piano performers among the activities and entertainment at the market
RIYADH: Music, food and art are the sense-stirring offerings at Diriyah’s JAX Ramadan Market, which opened this week.
The Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale is hosting the market as a part of the “Layali Biennale” program.
“The (JAX Ramadan) market is such a cute idea ... the atmosphere, the music, the food, the people all of it is such a fun vibe for Ramadan nights,” Jood Marzouqi, a visitor, told Arab News.
The JAX Ramadan Market is open to the public from 8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., until April 1, and offers visitors a taste of local Ramadan favorites with a modern twist.
Bateel Ismail, the food and beverage lead of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, told Arab News: “The JAX Ramadan Market has seven main selections of hot stations for live-cooking food and eight stations for other miscellaneous cuisines and products including chocolates, dates, tea, cheese, and specialty crackers.
“We also present a henna station and live activities for families.”
Ismail said: “We curated a diverse range of businesses that offer unique and high-quality products. We also considered factors such as the authenticity of the products, the cultural significance, and the ability to provide a delightful experience for visitors.
“The goal was to create a vibrant and enjoyable market that showcases the best of Ramadan’s most famous food.”
The market featured live oud and piano performances for guests to enjoy while shopping.
To foster Ramadan’s community spirit, the market has set up a long table where guests can sit together to eat and chat.
One of the booths named Balila Al-Hijaz offers boiled chickpeas with toppings of pickles and spices including cumin.
A variety of stuffed dates can be found at several booths including The Flavors of Hijaz and Musa & Palm. On the dessert side, Najd Luqaimat has fried dough balls stuffed with cheese, drizzled with honey, chocolate or other syrups.
Visitor Marzouqi said the market captures the spirit of the holy month. “I grew up in Jeddah. Having food with friends and hanging out, was our most memorable tradition during Ramadan in Jeddah.”
She added: “Since I’ve moved to Riyadh, I started missing that, and I heard about this market; and honestly it feels similar to Jeddah. It’s a little different but the vibes, atmosphere and energy truly remind me of a Ramadan back home.”
When asked, Marzouqi said her favorite booth was “definitely the Flavors of Hijaz.”
“I wish it (the market) was bigger. The space is smaller than I expected, but it’s still a fun activity for Ramadan nights.”
Also at the market, The Truffleers, a Saudi Arabia luxury chocolate truffle company, featured several varieties of their products including salted-butter caramel truffles, pure chocolate truffles, Arabian coffee beans, and cookie crisps.
The Truffleers was launched three years ago in Dhahran and has now expanded across the Kingdom.
Wijdan Hussein, operations manager of The Truffleers, told Arab News: “We have seven locations within the Kingdom and we are participating in events such as the JAX Ramadan Market. We are showcasing our chocolate truffle products.
“Our participation in the market today has been very nice, the atmosphere is wonderful, and everything is very beautiful.”
Another booth featuring handmade Saudi Arabia desserts is Okay by Sara, a sweets company that displays their take on ghorayebah, a type of local butter cookie.
Afnan Mahmoud, a sales representative from Okay by Sara, said: “All of our desserts are handmade and come in different designs, based on the occasion you have. For example, if you order dessert for the occasion of Ramadan or any celebration we will specialize it and design it for you.”
Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief donates tons of dates and food aid to families in need
RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has donated 40 tons of dates to Malaysia and Poland, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
In Warsaw, Poland, 15 tons of dates were handed over, while in Malaysia a further 23 tonnes were distributed as part of the agency’s ongoing work to assist those most in need.
On Wednesday, meanwhile, the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance launched the Kingdom’s gift program to distribute dates and iftar meals in Amman, Jordan.
The first stage involves the delivery of approximately 5 tons of dates to more than 20,000 people.
The second part of the program aims to provide iftar meals to over 7,000 people.
KSrelief also provided 2,900 food aid parcels to Montenegro, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Benin and Sudan, benefiting 14,275 people.
Crown prince receives governors of Saudi regions
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has received governors of the Kingdom’s regions following their 31st annual meeting, the Saudi Press Agency said early Thursday.
The Crown Prince was briefed on the most prominent topics discussed at the annual meeting.
He commended the governors’ efforts to serve the country, citizens and residents, and their work to achieve comprehensive development.
Saudi Arabia to host conference on role of universities in promoting peaceful coexistence
- The event will take place at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University on April 28 and 29
RIYADH: Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh will host an international conference next month titled “The Role of Universities in Promoting the Values of National Belonging and Peaceful Coexistence.” It will take place on April 28 and 29 under the patronage of King Salman.
Ahmed bin Salem Al-Ameri, the president of the university, thanked the king for his support and said the aim of the event is to “highlight the experiences of universities in promoting these lofty values, and to demonstrate the importance of correct doctrine and the approach of moderation,” the Saudi Press agency reported on Wednesday.
The participants will include leaders, dignitaries, scholars and intellectuals from the Kingdom and other countries, he added, who will share their specialist legal, scientific and social expertise during lectures, discussion sessions and workshops.
Weather warnings issued across Saudi Arabia until Monday
RIYADH: Members of the public have been urged to exercise caution over the coming days as weather warnings have been issued in several regions across Saudi Arabia.
The General Directorate of Civil Defense said there could be thunderstorms from Thursday to Monday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Moderate to heavy rain, leading to torrential rain, hail and high wind, has been forecast for Makkah region, including the Holy Capital, Al-Jumum, Al-Kamil, Bahra, Khulais, Taif, Maysan, Adham, Al-Ardiyat, Tarbah, Raniyah, Al-Muwayh, and Al-Khurmah.
The Riyadh region will be affected by similar weather conditions, including the capital, Diriyah, Afif, Al-Dawadmi. Al-Quwayiyah, Al-Majma’ah, Thadiq, Marrat, Al-Ghat, Al-Zulfi, Shaqraa, Rumah, Huraymila, Darma, Al-Muzahmiyah, Al-Kharj, Wadi Al-Dawasir, Al-Salil, Al-Aflaj, Hotat Bani Tamim and Al-Hareeq.
The same has been forecast for the regions of Jazan, Asir, Al-Baha, Madinah, Tabuk, Al-Jawf, the Northern Border, Hail, Al-Qassim, and the Eastern Province.
Some parts of Makkah region, including Jeddah, Rabigh, Al-Laith, Al-Qunfudhah, will be affected by moderate rainfall that may lead to torrential rain, hail and high winds.
Some areas in the regions of Jazan, Najran and the Eastern Province will be affected by light to medium rain and active downward winds that raise dust and dirt, the authority added.
The directorate called on the public to stay safe and away from places which could be affected by floods or become swamped. It urged people not to swim in such places as this would be dangerous, and to adhere to any instructions issued through the media or social media networks.