JEDDAH: World-renowned and Grammy-winning musicians took to the stage on March 22 as the largest jazz festival yet held in Saudi Arabia got underway.
The location for the two-day event, featuring 10 acts, was Juman Park in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), which echoed to the sound of soulful and rhythmic tunes deep into the night.
One of the largest privately run economic projects in the world, KAEC is a residential and business location in Northern Jeddah. It has quickly established itself as a leading venue for concerts organized by the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), a government organization set up to develop and expand entertainment in Saudi Arabia through high-quality events.
“We have seen an incredible response to events that have been held in cooperation with the GEA,” said Fahd Al-Rasheed, group CEO and managing director of Emaar the Economic City, the master developer of KAEC. “In fact, the number of attendees has increased from 160,000 in 2016 to 366,000 in 2017, and we are expecting a million ticketed visitors this year.”
Thursday night’s jazz lineup included one local and four globally renowned artists. First up was Min Alriyadh, a Saudi band who blend contemporary and Arabic music styles.
The international names on the day-one bill were Charbel Rouhana, a prominent Lebanese musician known for his distinctive oud-playing style; alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett, formerly of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and Miles Davis Band; four-time Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, and world-renowned French jazz trumpeter Erik Truffaz, known for mixing elements of hip-hop and rock.
The gates opened around sunset, providing the ideal lighting and atmosphere to kick off the evening’s festivities. As audience members made their way to the seating, they had a wide variety of food carts to choose from.
The day-two line-up features The Bright Side, a Jeddah-based covers band who play a wide variety of jazz and easy-listening classics; Grammy-winning guitarist Al Di Meola, a staple of the jazz world for more than 40 years; Trio Joubran, three oud-playing Palestinian brothers who perform traditional Arabic music with a jazzy twist; Canadian guitarist and Juno Award-winner Jesse Cook; and Grammy-nominated American singer and guitarist Raul Midon.
“As an American expat, I sacrificed part of my way of life when relocating to Jeddah for work,” said jazz fan Scott Lindt. “Simple, fun activities such as going to the movies or attending concerts were always a welcome escape on weekends back home but never a readily available option for us here — until now. Now everything is different. It eases that burden to know that we have entertainment options on weekends. It’s a fun way to recharge for the work week ahead.”
The roots of jazz date back to the 19th Century in New Orleans, with a style that combines African-American rhythms with European-American instrumental heritage. It is often characterized by bluesy notes and erratic chord-based improvizations. With each generation of musicians contributing their own personal interpretation, the musical style and composition of jazz is constantly in a state of evolution — and appropriately true to its unpredictable nature, it now finds itself with a fresh audience in a new country, amid the deserts of Saudi Arabia.
Jeddah revels at Kingdom's largest jazz festival
Jeddah revels at Kingdom's largest jazz festival
King Salman issues royal order to host 1,000 family members of Palestinian victims for Hajj
- The gesture is part of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Guests Program for Hajj and Umrah
- Since its inception 26 years ago, more than 60,000 pilgrims have been hosted under the program
RIYADH: King Salman ordered the hosting of 2,322 Hajj pilgrims on Tuesday, including 1,000 family members of Palestinians killed or wounded by Israel or held in Israeli prisons.
1,300 people from over 88 countries and 22 family members of conjoined twins who were separated in the Kingdom will also be hosted for the pilgrimage, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The gesture is part of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Guests Program for Hajj and Umrah, which is supervised by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance.
Since its inception 26 years ago, more than 60,000 pilgrims have been hosted under the program.
Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikhb said the order reflects the Saudi leadership’s constant care for Muslims around the world and its efforts to strengthen unity and brotherhood among Muslims by bringing them together for Hajj at the expense of the king.
The minister said preparations to host these pilgrims have begun and a strategic plan has been developed.
Saudi Arabia condemns Israel’s continued acts of genocide in Rafah
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia condemned on Tuesday the Israeli forces’ continued “genocidal massacres against the Palestinian people without deterrence” by targeting the tents of defenseless Palestinian refugees in Rafah.
The Kingdom holds the Israeli authorities fully responsible for what is happening in Rafah and all the occupied Palestinian territories, a foreign ministry statement read.
Israel’s military denied striking a tent camp west of the city of Rafah on Tuesday after Gaza health authorities said Israeli tank shelling had killed at least 21 people there, in what Israel has designated a civilian evacuation zone.
Earlier, defying an appeal from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Israeli tanks advanced to the heart of Rafah for the first time after a night of heavy bombardment, while Spain, Ireland and Norway officially recognized a Palestinian state, a move that further deepened Israel’s international isolation.
Saudi Arabia reiterated that the Israeli forces’ blatant violation of all international and humanitarian laws and norms, amid the silence of the international community, exacerbates the unprecedented Palestinian humanitarian catastrophe, and puts the credibility of international legitimacy institution at stake.
“The Kingdom stresses the need for the international community to assume its responsibilities to stop the massacres against the Palestinian people and hold those responsible accountable,” the statement concluded.
- With Reuters.
Saudi Ministry of Media, Microsoft Arabia sign memorandum of understanding
- Deal aims to advance media sector in the Kingdom
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Media signed a memorandum of understanding with Microsoft Arabia in Riyadh on Tuesday covering several areas of cooperation, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Assistant Minister of Media Abdullah Al-Maghlouth, and Ziad Mansour, Microsoft’s executive vice president of data and artificial intelligence.
Bassem Al-Hazmi, the general manager of digital transformation and information technology and the general manager of cybersecurity, was also present, along with the President of Microsoft Arabia Turki Badhris.
Cooperation will include developing technical aspects in the areas of data analysis, self-learning, AI, security and privacy solutions, and various software and service development solutions.
It will aim to raise the quality of local media content and keep pace with global transformations to serve the future goals of the Ministry of Media.
The memorandum also bids to advance the media sector in the Kingdom, enabling it to contribute to the local economy while benefiting from the developments of AI and its multiple applications in the field of media.
Who’s Who: Mansour Al-Babtain, VP of commercial partnerships and liaison at World Defense Show
Mansour Al-Babtain is the vice president of commercial partnerships and liaison at the World Defense Show.
A former fighter pilot, Al-Babtain has extensive experience working with high-level government figures and private-sector leaders.
He joined the WDS in April 2021. His current role is to oversee the sales, sponsorship and customer experience divisions, in addition to maintaining his liaison responsibilities with Saudi government entities including the General Authority for Military Industries and international delegations.
The department links WDS business owners with the appropriate government entities, ensures the security of the location and people prior to, during and following the show, and manages WDS committees.
From the initial show license to security support, Al-Babtain effectively manages the challenges of ensuring the smooth entry and exit of military supplies, technology, and personnel.
Having graduated from King Faisal Air Academy, he served 12 years in the Royal Saudi Air Force as a fighter pilot, squadron leader and tactical intelligence officer before moving to the Ministry of Defense and later to several government entities.
In addition to his degree in aerial sciences, Al-Babtain holds a master’s degree in strategic studies from Air University in Alabama and a diploma in diplomatic and political relations from the International Arbitration Commission in Cairo.
AI and intellectual property in the spotlight at Arab League meeting
RIYADH: Intellectual property and artificial intelligence will be discussed at a regional meeting of the Arab League’s Intellectual Property and Competitiveness Department on Wednesday.
The virtual gathering, which will be hosted via video link, will include experts from the World Intellectual Property Organization and governmental intellectual property offices from several Arab nations, reported Saudi Press Agency.
Key topics on the agenda are optimizing intellectual property frameworks for AI development, the impact of AI on patenting processes, legislative efforts to address legal challenges, and implications of AI for copyright regulations.
Minister Plenipotentiary Dr. Maha Bakheet, director of legal affairs at the Intellectual Property and Competitiveness Department, said the meeting aimed to safeguard AI models through intellectual property mechanisms and enhance services.
It also hopes to drive service delivery and management progress within regional intellectual property offices.
