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RIYADH: Kuwait has named Noura Soliman and Khalifa Abdullah as its new finance and trade ministers respectively as part of a cabinet reshuffle, Kuwait News Agency said on Sunday.
DUBAI: What do Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour, Usher’s Super Bowl halftime performance, Doja Cat’s Coachella show and Saudi Arabia’s MDLBEAST Soundstorm have in common? They’ve all had Los Angeles-born production studio Silent House to thank for their exceptional stage design and production.
Leading the creative direction and design for Soundstorm since 2020, Silent House president Alex Reardon says bringing their skills to the Middle East — and, specifically, the Kingdom — has been a richly rewarding experience.
“There is a desire in the region not just for the biggest shows, but also for the best or most creative shows. It is relatively easy to do big, but when we level up to groundbreaking — to be innovative, to be revolutionary — that’s where the real challenges and real rewards are,” Reardon told Arab News.
“Additionally, I’d say that there is a burgeoning production community who are focused on learning from the experience we bring,” he continued. “To be able to share knowledge with young, motivated, intelligent people is an unexpected and seriously appreciated takeaway.”
Soundstorm returns to Riyadh for its fifth edition from Dec. 12 -14. Stars in this year’s roster include rap legend Eminem, US rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, British rock band Muse, Swiss DJ duo Adriatique (Adrian Shala and Adrian Schweizer), German DJ Boris Brejcha, Italian DJ Marco Carola, British-Canadian DJ Richie Hawtin and many more.
“We’ve been working on this year’s show since the end of February,” Reardon said. “There is a wonderful sense of collaboration with the MDLBEAST team — as well as deep friendship. So, we have the pleasure of starting with a blank slate of conceptual design iterations for the different stages and communal spaces.”
When asked about any major changes or updates, he said: “I’d certainly not want to spoil the surprises to come, but the audience can expect to see both evolution and revolution at the festival this year. We continue to focus on providing both visiting artists and attendees the best festival experience on Earth.”
Reardon explained that Silent House approaches every event by listening to their client’s “highest-level ambitions.”
“If we’re designing for a music artist, we discuss the album. If we’re designing a corporate event, we talk with the C-Suite executives to find out what the event means to them. Why do we do this and not start with presenting preliminary concepts? It’s so that as we progress down the design timeline, we have crystal-clear alignment with the client on their goals,” he said.
In the case of Soundstorm, the Silent House team collaborated with MDLBEAST’s upper-level management to create a festival that serves both artists and audience.
“For the artists, we wanted to create an experience that would far exceed their expectations, meaning we want to go further than just a great stage to perform on. The experience includes transport to the event, backstage hospitality, seamless integration of their visuals into the stage screens, and layered 24-hour tech support.
“For the audience, we want to provide a visual and auditory adventure through different soundscapes and physical environments, each with unique characteristics,” he explained.
Reardon’s own personal favorite Soundstorm design element is not one of the multiple massive stages (one of which even earned a Guinness World Record in 2021 for “tallest stage”), but “MDLTOWN” — a central location for rest, relaxation and refuelling.
“Having never designed a public space before, it was a rare challenge to find a way to provide seating, communal space, a central sculpture, emergency access, et cetera,” he said. “I wanted it to reflect the influence of traditional Arabic architecture while still being modern in appearance. It’s a lovely place to hang out with friends and rest before diving back into the extraordinary stages and performances.”
And the key to pulling off a successful event in Saudi Arabia? “Collaboration and communication,” said Reardon. “Our friends in the Kingdom have been excellent at regular communication and have given us agency to collaborate so we can all elevate the experience to new heights year on year.”
SINGAPORE: Oil prices nudged higher on Friday and are on track for a weekly gain of more than 1 percent, as tensions in the world’s top oil-producing region, the Middle East, and a restart in Gaza ceasefire talks in the coming days kept traders on edge.
Brent crude futures climbed 18 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $74.56 a barrel by 6:42 a.m. Saudi time while US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $70.34 a barrel, up 15 cents, or 0.2 percent.
“We remain of the view that the right price for crude oil currently is around $70 where it is now, as we await fresh price drivers, including the outcome of China’s NPC Standing Committee meeting as well as Israel’s response to Iran’s October 1 missile attack,” IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said in a note, referring to WTI prices.
Both benchmarks settled down 58 cents a barrel in the previous session after prices fluctuated against expectations of heightened or reduced tensions in the Middle East.
Oil traders are waiting for Israel’s response to a missile attack by Iran on Oct. 1 that may involve hitting Tehran’s oil infrastructure and disrupt supplies, although reports said Israel would strike Iranian military, not nuclear or oil, targets.
US and Israeli officials are set to restart talks for a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza in the coming days. Previous attempts to reach a deal have failed.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that Washington does not want a protracted Israeli campaign in Lebanon, while France has called for a ceasefire and focus on diplomacy.
Ceasefire talks have a small net negative impact on oil prices, Sycamore said, adding the focus is more on the conflict in Lebanon and Israel’s potential response to Iran.
Investors are also eyeing more clarity on Beijing’s stimulus policies, although analysts do not expect such measures to provide a major boost to oil demand from China, the world’s No. 2 consumer.
Goldman Sachs on Thursday left its oil, natural gas, and coal price forecasts unchanged, estimating Chinese stimulus boosts to energy prices that are modest relative to bigger drivers such as oil supply from the Middle East and winter weather for natural gas.
It forecasts Brent in the $70 to $85 range.
TORONTO: Current climate policies will result in global warming of more than 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century, according to a United Nations report on Thursday, more than twice the rise agreed to nearly a decade ago.
The annual Emissions Gap report, which takes stock of countries’ promises to tackle climate change compared with what is needed, finds the world faces as much as 3.1 C (5.6 F) of warming above pre-industrial levels by 2100 if governments do not take greater action on slashing planet-warming emissions.
Governments in 2015 signed up to the Paris Agreement and a cap of 1.5 C (2.7 F) warming to prevent a cascade of dangerous impacts.
“We’re teetering on a planetary tight rope,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a speech on Thursday. “Either leaders bridge the emissions gap, or we plunge headlong into climate disaster.”
Global greenhouse gas emissions rose by 1.3 percent between 2022 and 2023, to a new high of 57.1 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent, the report said.
Under current pledges to take future action, temperatures would still rise between 2.6 C (4.7 F) and 2.8 C (5 F) by 2100, the report found. That is in line with findings from the past three years.
“If we look at the progress toward 2030 targets, especially of the G20 member states ... they have not made a lot of progress toward their current climate targets for 2030,” said Anne Olhoff, chief scientific editor of the report.
The world has currently warmed by about 1.3 C (2.3 F).
Nations will gather next month at the annual United Nations climate summit (COP29) in Azerbaijan, where they will work to build on an agreement made last year to transition away from fossil fuels.
Negotiations in Baku will help to inform each country’s updated emissions-cutting strategy, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which are due in February 2025.
The report suggests that nations must collectively commit to and implement a cut of 42 percent on yearly greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and reach 57 percent by 2035 for any hope of preventing warming beyond 1.5 C — a target now seen as likely out of reach.
Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, urged countries to use the Baku talks to increase action in their NDCs. “Every fraction of a degree avoided counts,” she said.
LOS ANGELES: The Oklahoma City Thunder, fueled by big games from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, opened their NBA campaign with a dominant 102-87 victory over Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets in Denver on Thursday.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who was runner-up to Jokic in Most Valuable Player award voting last season, scored 28 points and Holmgren added 25 points, a career-high 14 rebounds, four blocked shots and two steals for the Thunder, who led by as many as 20 points.
Oklahoma City withstood a triple-double from Jokic, who claimed his third MVP trophy in four years last season. The Serbian star scored 16 points with 12 rebounds and 13 assists.
But the Nuggets connected on just 35.4 percent of their shots from the field — making just 15 of 54 shots in the second half as the Thunder romped home.
OKC and Denver finished with matching 57-25 records last season, the Thunder claiming top seed in the Western Conference on a tiebreaker but falling to Dallas in the Conference semifinals.
Holmgren impressed on both ends of the floor, blocking a shot by Jokic in the third quarter and sprinting for a dunk.
“I’m just trying to go out there and execute and help make winning plays,” Holmgren said. “And we put enough of them together tonight to come away with a win.”
Four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson scored 22 points in his Dallas debut to give the reigning Western Conference champion Mavericks a boost in their 120-109 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Slovenian star Luka Doncic scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Mavs, who fell to the Boston Celtics in last season’s NBA Finals and acquired Thompson in a free-agent deal in the off-season with the hope of going even further this season.
Thompson, who won four titles in 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, was delighted with his first outing for the Mavs.
“Couldn’t ask for a better start,” Thompson told broadcaster TNT. “Just sharing the flow with (Kyrie Irving), Luka and the rest of the guys — very special after a hard month of really good work.
“But it’s just a small step for where we want to go,” Thompson added.
San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama, aiming to build on last season’s Rookie of the Year campaign, connected on just five of 18 shots from the field on the way to 17 points.
The Spurs also coughed up 19 turnovers leading to 17 Mavericks points.
Chris Paul, an 11-time All-Star point guard brought in to lend veteran experience to the young San Antonio squad, scored all of his points on a lone three-pointer, finishing one-of-six from the field with eight assists.
Elsewhere, the reigning champion Boston Celtics, coming off a season-opening rout of the New York Knicks, got off to a slow start against last season’s second-worst team Washington, who led by as many as eight points in the early going.
It was tied at 51-51 with five minutes left in the second quarter, but Boston closed the first half on a 13-3 run and cruised from there to a 122-102 victory.
Jaylen Brown celebrated his 28th birthday by scoring 27 points and Jayson Tatum added 25 with 11 rebounds for Boston, who had 19 points from Derrick White.
“This was our first road game... we started off a little slow but we stayed the course and we were able to get the win,” Brown said.
