Syrian singing star Assala Nasri heads to Riyadh for women-only Eid concert

Syrian singer Assala performs during the 15th annual Murex d’Or awards ceremony held at the Casino Du Liban in Maameltein north of Beirut on June 4, 2015. AFP
Updated 10 June 2018
Follow

Syrian singing star Assala Nasri heads to Riyadh for women-only Eid concert

  • Nasri won last year’s “Best Arab Singer Award” for her latest album, “Mohtama bel Tafaseel”
  • Eid programs organized by the governorates of different provinces will include fireworks, stunt shows and opera

RIYADH: Chart-topping Syrian singing sensation Assala Nasri will deliver her first Saudi performance at a women-only concert in the capital on June 20 to mark Eid Al-Fitr.

Nasri is known for her live performances and the show is expected to draw a large Arabic-speaking audience to Riyadh’s King Fahd Cultural Center (KFCC).
The singer and TV host has promoted the show with a Twitter post captioned: “In Riyadh, my soul is always renewed and my family is there. There I started, and there my voice becomes a child again that throws himself in the arms of hearts that I am connected to.”
“Assala’s fans are waiting for the day when she will entertain them with her mesmerizing voice,” said Musaed Al-Mikhlafi, KFCC technical manager, on Saturday.
“KFCC has world-class sound, light and technical logistics to organize such concerts in cooperation with the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) and other relevant government agencies.”
Adilah Al-Askar, a student at King Saud University, said: “I am happy to be attending the concert because Assala is my favorite Arab singer.”
The singer also hosts a TV program, “Soula,” on Al Hayat TV and Dubai TV that presents guest artists and musicians.
Nasri won last year’s “Best Arab Singer Award” for her latest album, “Mohtama bel Tafaseel” (“Concerned with Details“) released in 2017, which topped the charts.
Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Nasri, who is a Syrian but also holds Bahraini nationality, has supported the Syrian rebels and strongly opposed Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Jeddah will also host a women-only concert featuring renowned Egyptian singer Sherine Abdel Wahab for the first time at King Abdullah Sports City on June 19, Al-Mikhlafi said.
Other Eid programs organized by the governorates of different provinces will include fireworks, stunt shows and opera.


Rare sighting of critically endangered leatherback turtle in Red Sea

Updated 05 February 2026
Follow

Rare sighting of critically endangered leatherback turtle in Red Sea

  • Turtles travel thousands of kilometers to Red Sea
  • Nesting 6,500km away in India’s Andaman Islands

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Wildlife has documented a rare sighting of a leatherback sea turtle in the Red Sea, marking a significant biological record for one of the planet’s most critically endangered marine species.

The sighting occurred approximately 30 km off the coast of Al-Qunfudhah within the Blue Holes Protected Area, a newly established marine reserve, according to a recent report from the Saudi Press Agency.

The NCW said the presence of a leatherback in these waters was an exceptional event.

Recognized as the largest turtle species on Earth, the leatherback can weigh up to 900 kilograms. It has a unique leathery, black carapace — distinguished by five longitudinal ridges rather than a hard bony shell — and able to dive to depths exceeding 1,000 meters.

Shutterstock image

Noting the species’ migratory nature, the center explained that leatherbacks travel thousands of kilometers foraging for jellyfish. The specimen likely navigated through the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait in search of food.

This is considered a remarkable journey, the NCW said, noting that the nearest known populations reside in the Indian Ocean, spanning waters from South Africa to Sri Lanka (roughly 7,000 to 8,000 km away).

The closest known nesting grounds are located in India’s Andaman Islands, approximately 6,500 kilometers away. No nesting activity has been recorded in the Red Sea.

According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the leatherback is Critically Endangered in the Indian Ocean.

While data for the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf is scarce, recent isolated sightings include a juvenile recorded in Jordan in December 2025 and another off Djibouti in 2019.

The NCW emphasized that these rare appearances highlight the ecological importance of the Kingdom's marine conservation efforts in the Red Sea.

The center pointed to the Farasan Islands Marine Protected Area, along with the new Blue Holes and Ras Hatiba reserves, as critical sanctuaries that could support the expansion in range of such endangered species.