Qiddiya to offer music lessons

World-class performers and rising Saudi stars will be invited to share their talents on Qiddiya’s stages.
Updated 10 June 2018
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Qiddiya to offer music lessons

One of the highlights of Qiddiya’s ground-breaking ceremony on April 28 was an original composition written exclusively for the event by the award-winning American composer William (Bill) Ross and performed live by the Czech Philharmonic orchestra.

In front of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Ross directed 40 musicians from the Czech Philharmonic as they performed a stirring soundtrack. The audience was transported through the ages of Saudi Arabia, evoking a range of emotions, and ending in a celebration of the future of Qiddiya, set to a spectacular firework show.

The performance, in front of an audience of royals and key international and Saudi stakeholders, prominently positions Saudi Arabia in the global music industry and raises the profile of Qiddiya as a future home and incubator of the world’s musical talents.

“My deepest and heartfelt best wishes to the leaders and people of Saudi Arabia as they work together to realize the hopes and dreams envisioned in the goals of Vision 2030,” said Ross. “As a part of that historic change, Qiddiya will exist as a monument to the value and importance of entertainment, recreation, education, and the arts. It has been my great honor to have been allowed to contribute, in some small way, to the realization of the dream that is Qiddiya.”

The composition performed at the event was the first time in Ross’ 35-year career as a composer that he had created such a complex score, with a fusion of Western and local sounds reflective of instruments true to the Kingdom. 

Ross is a four-time Emmy Award winner who has composed music for numerous films and has worked with artists including Andrea Bocelli, Stevie Wonder and Sting. The multi-talented musician also orchestrated and conducted the score to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Qiddiya will offer state-of-the-art performance centers, a cultural village, music lessons, and regular concerts. World-class performers and rising Saudi stars will be invited to share their talents on Qiddiya’s stages, giving local artists an outlet for their creativity and well-deserved recognition. Such opportunities will create an exchange of culture and encourage Saudi youth to follow their musical passion with the help of Qiddiya’s music experts.


Aramco Digital to launch National Industrial Network on 450 MHz band

Updated 12 January 2026
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Aramco Digital to launch National Industrial Network on 450 MHz band

Aramco Digital, the digital and technology arm of Aramco, is preparing to launch its National Industrial Network operating on the 450 MHz spectrum, a network designed to enable secure, resilient, and high-reliability industrial communications across Saudi Arabia. The network has been engineered as a mission-critical industrial infrastructure to deliver high levels of security, flexibility, and reliability to meet the needs of industrial sectors. It provides wide-area coverage with advanced protection standards, supporting operational environments that require continuous performance and dependable connectivity for critical facilities and assets.

“The National Industrial Network has been designed to support the advanced operational requirements of modern industrial environments, aimed at enhancing efficiency, strengthening business continuity, and enabling a new class of highly reliable industrial communications. Together with next-generation mission-critical smart radios, the network aims to help build a future-ready industrial infrastructure that enables real-time data insights, supports industrial digital transformation, and aligns with the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030,” said Nabil Al-Nuaim, Aramco Digital CEO.

Unlike public networks, the National Industrial Network has been purpose-built for industrial environments, enabling connectivity for critical assets, supply chains, logistics operations, and autonomous mobility systems. The network seeks to elevate smart industrial services, supporting real-time monitoring, automation, enhanced safety, and higher operational efficiency across industrial sectors.

As part of the launch, Aramco Digital plans to introduce an integrated portfolio of industrial digital solutions powered by the 450 MHz network. These include specialized connectivity packages tailored to diverse sector needs, along with a new generation of mission-critical smart radios designed specifically for industrial operations. The devices combine rugged high-performance design and industrial safety compliance with advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, enhanced sensing technologies, extended battery life, and real-time on-device data processing, helping improve accuracy, safety, and operational continuity in complex environments.

The network has also been designed to support a wide spectrum of industrial IoT applications, including asset condition and performance monitoring, fleet tracking, air-quality and environmental sensing, intelligent video monitoring, smart metering, lighting and infrastructure control, as well as mobility and fleet-management solutions. These capabilities enhance operational transparency, automation, and efficiency across both industrial and public sectors.

The National Industrial Network aims to help establish a strong technological foundation for Saudi Arabia’s next industrial phase, contributing to the objectives of Vision 2030 by delivering highly reliable, nationwide industrial connectivity that enables automation, intelligence, and advanced digital services across vital sectors. By developing connectivity solutions aligned with the needs of modern industrial operations, Aramco Digital is helping shape the future of mission-critical digital infrastructure in the Kingdom, moving beyond traditional telecommunications to enable continuous interaction between devices, machines, and AI-powered systems, and strengthening real-time decision-making through edge processing.

The 450 MHz National Industrial Network represents more than an improvement in coverage or performance. It is a strategic step toward smarter, more autonomous, and technology-driven industrial ecosystems that enhance operational excellence and set a new benchmark for advanced digital infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.

With the accelerating pace of digital transformation in the Kingdom, secure and reliable connectivity has become a fundamental pillar in supporting operational requirements and driving economic growth. Organizations across various sectors— including industrial sectors and those enabling future economies — are increasingly relying on advanced connectivity solutions and technologies to enhance safety and reliability, improve operational efficiency, and unlock new horizons for sustainable economic development.