DHAKA: Some of Bangladesh’s most popular artists are showcasing their pop culture to an international audience as they headline a cultural festival in Saudi Arabia this week.
Organized by the Kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority, the month-long event, “Your Passport to the World,” is held in the city of Alkhobar in the Dammam metropolitan area.
The festival, which began April 9, is focused on showcasing the rich cultural heritage of four countries: Sudan, India, the Philippines and Bangladesh.
The last leg of the event, which began Wednesday, features Bangladeshi artists, with the lineup of musicians saying they are ready to put on a spectacular show in the Kingdom.
“I am well-prepared now for the show. As a part of preparation, I have made some new compositions for some of my popular numbers as the audience will listen to my live performance for the first time,” singer and composer Imran Mahmudul told Arab News.
Mahmudul, who will perform in Dammam on Thursday and at another iteration of the festival in Jeddah on May 8, is performing for the second time in Saudi Arabia, after making his debut in 2023 at the Riyadh Season — an annual series of entertainment, cultural, and sporting events running in the Saudi capital throughout winter months.
“That was a hugely good experience for me. More than half a million people enjoyed that show. Half of the audience couldn’t enter into the show as it was fully packed. It’s the biggest concert I have ever performed,” he said. “It’s a nice initiative to showcase Bangladeshi culture for the international audience.”
Imran Mahmudul poses with the audience at a concert in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Dec. 8, 2023. (Supplied)
The 33-year-old heartthrob was looking forward to playing for some of Bangladesh’s 3 million expats who are living and working in the Kingdom.
“Most of the Bangladeshi crowd are very emotional, especially when they find the Bangladeshi stars at their places … Whenever they get the opportunity to experience this kind of show with Bangladeshi stars, they don’t miss it.”
For her first-ever live performance in Saudi Arabia, singer Dilshad Nahar Kona said she is looking forward to putting on a show for fellow Bangladeshis in the Kingdom.
“I am feeling very proud to be a part of this grand event initiated by the Saudi government,” Kona told Arab News.
“With this initiative, I would be able to reach our people (Bangladeshis) in the Kingdom. It’s a big initiative where Bangladesh will be showcased for 3 to 4 days. Definitely, it’s a nice initiative by authorities in the Kingdom.”
Kona said she has been preparing to put on a great show. “We are fully prepared to offer the audience a marvelous show. With my performance, even if I can entertain them for a few moments, that will bring satisfaction in my mind as our efforts are nothing compared to the hard labor of our migrants’ work.”
The concerts will also feature other popular musicians from Bangladesh, including rock legend James, one of the most popular artists performing in Bengali, who has been widely celebrated since the 1990s and who debuted at Riyadh Season last year.
Ahead of the concerts, the Bangladesh expat community has been brimming with enthusiasm.
“I am a great fan of James and Imran. I am very excited to watch the live performances of these Bangladeshi music stars,” Abdul Hannan, a construction worker who lives in Dammam, told Arab News.
“We will join the Bangladesh events all four days as we get this sort of entertainment opportunities here very rarely. It’s kind of a get-together also for all the Bangladeshi migrants who have been living in this part of the Kingdom.”
Salma Hossain, who has been living in Saudi Arabia for the last three years, is planning to make the most of the festival.
“I have been counting the days for this Bangladesh event,” Hossain told Arab News.
“As a Bangladeshi citizen, I feel proud of this event. With the shows, now the people in my neighborhood will come to know that we also have a rich culture and heritage. We also have world-class music stars.”
