Celebrated Saudi singer Abdul Majeed Abdullah performed at the biggest outdoor concert venue in AlUla on Friday evening.
For the event titled Abdul Majeed Abdullah Night, the singer took to the stage for the first at the historic site, with 2,500 fans in attendance.
Abdullah performed alongside a live orchestra on a massive stage set up in the midst of AlUla's abandoned canyons. The orchestra was led by maestro Walid Fayed and was held in front of a big screen with artworks reflecting AlUla's natural heritage.
He performed some of his most popular songs, including Ya Tayeb El Galb, Min Mithlek, Gabl Aarfak and recent single Ya Ebn El Awadem, as fans sang along and danced to romantic tracks under the star-lit skies.
There were also fashion retail stores, restaurants, coffee shops and gift shops selling AlUla heritage items at the venue, as well as plush outdoor seating with sofas set around bonfires, as temperature dropped to 12ºC.
“It is always a privilege to sing in my country and between my beloved fans," said Abdullah before the event. "I am thrilled to perform in AlUla, the historical city where the art meets culture, the ancient civilisations and the beauty of the nature."
The concert was moved to a bigger outdoor venue built as an amphitheatre to accommodate the high demand of tickets. Many of his fans travelled from around the country to see him perform.
“It was the best concert ever. I flew down from Riyadh with my friends and husband to watch him,” said Shahd Ahmad.
“We took a chartered plane to come and watch him and the flight was full,” said Dalia Nemer. “We dressed up and came straight to the concert and are going back to Riyadh after.”
Another fan praised how well organised the concert was allowing for her to easily get to the venue.
“I traveled from Madinah to Jeddah to catch the special flight to AlUla as all commercial flights were full," says Haneen Albashr. "The organisers of the concert arranged special flights and buses to take us to the concert and bring us back to the airport.”
The concert was broadcast on MBC and the AlUla Moments YouTube channel. In addition to Abdullah, the venue has hosted other popular acts from around the world such as Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, Lebanese pianist Guy Manoukian, Iraqi singer Kadhim AlSahir and Spanish violinist virtuoso Ara Malikian.
Abdul Majeed Abdullah Night coincides with the Arabian Leopard Week, as part of AlUla season, led by Royal Commission for AlUla to save the Arabian leopards and return the critically endangered species back to their natural habitat in Sharaan Nature Reserve.
