RIYADH: Oud players from throughout the Arab world recently took part in a Saudi festival dedicated to the traditional stringed instrument.
Amateurs and professionals competed for big cash prizes during the three-day event staged at Boulevard Riyadh City.
The Oud Festival, organized by the Saudi General Entertainment Authority in cooperation with the Music Commission, aimed to promote the Kingdom’s musical heritage and put regional talent under the spotlight.
Male and female players participated in contests in front of a large audience and jury of five professional oudists.
Saud bin Naif, of Saudi Arabia, won first prize in the amateur category, with fellow countryman Abdulrahman Al-Harbi the runner-up, and Joseph Rouhana from Lebanon taking third place.
Another Saudi player, Muhannad Talal, was victorious in the professional class, with Syrians Kinan Ednawi and Mohammed Jisri taking second and third, respectively.
In the female musician section, Egyptian Shahad Hisham came first, Islam Al-Dedari from Tunisia second, and Iraqi Amal Mina third.
The winner of the professional category took home SR150,000 ($40,000), with SR100,000 for second place, and SR50,000 for third. In the amateur and female classes, the winners received SR75,000, runners-up SR50,000, with SR25,000 for third spot.
Saudi maestro Abadi Al-Johar participated in the closing ceremony of the festival, entertaining the audience with some of his songs before announcing the winners.
Billed as the biggest oud-related music event of its kind in the Middle East, the festival included a collection of rare ouds from around the world and was attended by famous international manufacturers of the instrument.
