Diriyah Nights festival wraps up, hosts thousands of visitors

The event featured a plethora of activities, including dazzling live performances. (AN Photo/Huda Bashatah)
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Updated 24 February 2023
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Diriyah Nights festival wraps up, hosts thousands of visitors

  • The two-month event featured dazzling live performances, great gastronomy scene, high-end shops and art
  • In January, the first session saw performances from singers Nabil Shuail, Aseel Abu Bakr, Fouad Abdel Wahed

RIYADH: Thousands of visitors in Riyadh flocked to attend Diriyah Nights, which concluded on Wednesday. 

The two-month event featured a plethora of activities, including dazzling live performances, a great gastronomy scene, high-end shops and art. 

“Diriyah Nights Sessions,” performances from world-renowned Arab music stars, hosted by Rotana Audio Co., consisted of three musical sessions over the duration of the event. 

In January, the first session saw performances from singers Nabil Shuail, Aseel Abu Bakr and Fouad Abdel Wahed. 

In Feburary, singers Abadi Al-Johar, Rashid Al-Faris and Rami Abdullah performed for the second session. 

Iconic Saudi singer Mohammed Abdo concluded the final session on Feb. 20 with a resounding live performance that attracted hundreds of music lovers. 

Visitors were spoiled for choice with restaurants at Diriyah Nights with the likes of Okto, Tawlat Fayza, Pizzeria Dei Monti, and Lebanese restaurant Shababik, where Saudi Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal and Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo, who is currently playing for Al-Nassr, had dinner.

With a reservation at any restaurant in Diriyah Nights, attendees received general access to the event. 

Electric car racing lovers had the chance to enjoy the ninth season of the Diriyah Formula E World Championship, which took place at the UNESCO World Heritage Site from Jan. 27-28.

Diriyah Season 2022 hosted the Spanish Super Cup from Jan. 11 to 15 and the EA Sports Supercup on Jan. 18, which received distinguished global attention and attendance. 

The Spanish Super Cup brought four legendary soccer teams — Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia and Real Betis — to play.

The EA Sports Supercup was a one-day match between AC Milan and Inter Milan. 

Diriyah Nights may have come to an end, but Diriyah Season still continues to host a variety of events for all ages.


Coalition trains in Niger to combat terrorist financing 

Updated 13 December 2025
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Coalition trains in Niger to combat terrorist financing 

RIYADH: The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition has concluded an advanced training program in Niger on combating terrorist financing and money laundering.

Held in Niamey, the five-day program aimed to strengthen member states’ capacity to counter financial crimes linked to terrorism, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

Some 25 trainees from financial, security, regulatory, and military sectors received theoretical and practical training to enhance their professional readiness and ability to transfer expertise to national institutions.

The program covered international legal frameworks, modern terrorist financing methods, money laundering mechanisms, financial detection and analysis techniques, and compliance governance within financial institutions.

Advanced modules focused on tracking suspicious financial flows, developing proactive investigative skills, and boosting cooperation among financial, regulatory, and security authorities, following recommendations from the Financial Action Task Force.

The program supports the Saudi-backed coalition’s mission to help member states protect their financial systems from exploitation in terrorist financing.