Riyadh Season’s winter music festival Boulevard Mix sets the mood

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The three-day musical affair delighted crowds seeking fun and relaxation at Riyadh Season. (AN Photos by Huda Bashatah)
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The three-day musical affair delighted crowds seeking fun and relaxation at Riyadh Season. (AN Photos by Huda Bashatah)
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Boulevard Mix brought together singers and musicians from around the Arab world.. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
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Boulevard Mix brought together singers and musicians from around the Arab world.. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
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The three-day musical affair delighted crowds seeking fun and relaxation at Riyadh Season. (AN Photos by Huda Bashatah)
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Boulevard Mix brought together singers and musicians from around the Arab world.. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
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Boulevard Mix brought together singers and musicians from around the Arab world.. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
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Updated 17 January 2023
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Riyadh Season’s winter music festival Boulevard Mix sets the mood

  • The band told Arab News: “We get excited about performing in Saudi Arabia every time, but this time it was different because it was our first time in Boulevard City, so thanks for having us

RIYADH: Boulevard Mix provided an impressive interlude for music lovers, taking place from Jan. 11-13 as part of the entertainment activities of Riyadh Season 2022.

With talented professional and amateur artists performing live in four designated corners of the arena, Boulevard Mix got everyone in the party mood and helped to create the perfect musical backdrop for fun.




Boulevard Mix brought together singers and musicians from around the Arab world.. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

The musical extravaganza gave the opportunity for artists and groups — including Eman Abdelghani, Ahmed Saad, Zina Emad, Big Sam, Mohamed Hasan, Sabreen Al Najili, Disco Misr, Massar Egbari, Sharmoofers, and others — to entertain the crowd and create the party mood.

Impressive vocals, dreamy melodies, and rhythmic beats set the scene at the four Boulevard Mix sites, which included the fountain, the square, and the studio, where Saad, the singer of the hit song “Wasa3 Wasa3,” performed to the delight of all present.

The Egyptian band Disco Misr, whose latest single is “Ahla Wahda ft. Aziz Maraka,” were delighted to be performing in front of a Saudi audience once again.

HIGHLIGHT

Saudi Arabia in recent years has opened up significant opportunities for the region’s musicians and artists to perform their craft in the spotlight.

The band told Arab News: “We get excited about performing in Saudi Arabia every time, but this time it was different because it was our first time in Boulevard City, so thanks for having us.




The three-day musical affair delighted crowds seeking fun and relaxation at Riyadh Season. (AN Photos by Huda Bashatah)

“It’s our fifth time in Saudi Arabia. We've been to AlUla, Jeddah, and Riyadh, and the audience was so friendly.

“They had fun, and were so open with us.”

Massar Egbari were another Egyptian band happy to return to Saudi to perform. The group previously performed twice in Jeddah.

The band said: “Last week we were scheduled to have a concert, but the weather was stormy, so we had to postpone it to today.

FASTFACT

The artists and groups performing for the Boulevard Mix music festival included Egyptian bands Disco Misr and Massar Egbari. Eman Abdelghani, Ahmed Saad, Zena Emad and Mohamed Hasan also performed for the audiences.

“Today it rained during the concert, but we kept playing, and we were happy that the people stayed even during the rain.”




Boulevard Mix brought together singers and musicians from around the Arab world.. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

Boulevard Mix is the latest event to represent the changing cultural and entertainment landscape of the Kingdom.

The event is designed to bring together devoted music lovers and audiences seeking fun in the same space to enjoy live performances.

Saudi Arabia in recent years has opened up significant opportunities for the region’s musicians and artists to perform their craft in the spotlight.

 


Saudi wildlife center records rare sighting of critically endangered leatherback turtle in Red Sea

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Saudi wildlife center records rare sighting of critically endangered leatherback turtle in Red Sea

  • NCW says the leatherback traveled thousands of kilometers to reach the Red Sea
  • The closest known nesting grounds are located in India’s Andaman Islands, some 6,500 km distant

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's National Center for Wildlife (NCW) 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 kilometers off the coast of Al-Qunfudhah within the Blue Holes Protected Area, a newly established marine reserve, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The NCW confirmed that the presence of a leatherback in these waters is an exceptional event. Recognized as the largest turtle species on Earth, the leatherback can weigh up to 900 kilograms. It is easily identified by its unique leathery, black carapace—distinguished by five longitudinal ridges rather than a hard bony shell—and its ability to dive to depths exceeding 1,000 meters.

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Noting the species' migratory nature, the center explained that leatherbacks travel thousands of kilometers foraging for jellyfish. The specimen likely navigated through the Bab el-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 kilometers away). The closest known nesting grounds are located in India’s Andaman Islands, approximately 6,500 kilometers distant. No nesting activity has been recorded in the Red Sea.

According to the IUCN Red List, 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 potential expansion of such endangered species' ranges.