Backstreet Boys return to Saudi Arabia, this time to headline the E-prix after-race concert in historical city Diriyah. Photo: CBX
Backstreet Boys return to Saudi Arabia, this time to headline the E-prix after-race concert in historical city Diriyah. Photo: CBX
Backstreet Boys return to Saudi Arabia, this time to headline the E-prix after-race concert in historical city Diriyah. Photo: CBX
Backstreet Boys return to Saudi Arabia, this time to headline the E-prix after-race concert in historical city Diriyah. Photo: CBX

Backstreet Boys, Cairokee and Afrojack to close Diriyah E-Prix weekend in Saudi Arabia


Panna Munyal
  • English
  • Arabic

American boy band Backstreet Boys will headline the 2024 Diriyah E-Prix on January 27. The second and final day of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship races will also see Egyptian rock band Cairokee and Dutch DJ Afrojack take to the stage.

The Backstreet Boys are no strangers to the region, and made their Saudi Arabia debut in June 2019, as part of the Jeddah Season cultural festival. Their latest show in the kingdom was last May, preceded by their sold-out debut Abu Dhabi performance.

Likewise, Afrojack played at the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023 in March.

Afrojack is the co-producer of Hey Mama alongside David Guetta. Photo: CBX
Afrojack is the co-producer of Hey Mama alongside David Guetta. Photo: CBX

The Dutch DJ – co-producer of Hey Mama with David Guetta – also teamed up with music company MDL Beast to put on an intensive production camp for aspiring electronic musicians in the kingdom.

The five-piece Egyptian pop-rock group Cairokee, meanwhile, are regulars at events across Saudi. Globally, too, they are going from strength to strength since emerging during the 2011 Egyptian revolution with Ya El Medan, a song that became a rallying cry used by protesters in Tahrir Square.

Egyptian group Cairokee are known for their searching and evocative lyrics, and are dubbed the Arab world’s answer to Coldplay. Photo: CBX
Egyptian group Cairokee are known for their searching and evocative lyrics, and are dubbed the Arab world’s answer to Coldplay. Photo: CBX

Other revolutionary songs attendees can expect at the Diriyah E-Prix concert include Layla, El Seka Shemal Fe Shemal and Samurai, while headline act Backstreet Boys will belt out smash-hit singles including I Want It That Way, Everybody and Incomplete.

Artists previously confirmed to perform on day one of the race, on January 26, include OneRepublic, Nancy Ajram and Alesso.

“Entertainment is a huge part of our race. Since we started in Diriyah, we have wanted to entertain fans, not only with incredible electric racing, but also a Fan Village where ... they can keep the party going throughout the evening,” said Carlo Boutagy, founder and chief executive of CBX, promoter of the Diriyah E-Prix.

The Allianz Fan Village also has racing simulators, a gaming arena, street food stalls and family-friendly activities.

The Diriyah E-Prix races are part of Saudi Arabia’s investment in sport, which aims to inspire residents and visitors to enjoy active lives as part of the country’s Vision 2030 cultural transformation.

Tickets, starting at 100 Saudi riyals, are still available to watch the races and attend the concerts, and can be bought from webook.com

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Uefa Champions League Group F

Manchester City v Hoffenheim, midnight (Wednesday, UAE)

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Champions League quarter-final, first leg

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UAE gold medallists:

Omar Al Suweidi (46kg), Khaled Al Shehhi (50kg), Khalifa Humaid Al Kaabi (60kg), Omar Al Fadhli (62kg), Mohammed Ali Al Suweidi (66kg), Omar Ahmed Al Hosani (73), all in the U18’s, and Khalid Eskandar Al Blooshi (56kg) in the U21s.

Defending champions

World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack

UAE squad

Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.

Have you been targeted?

Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:

1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.

2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.

3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.

4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.

5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.

How to apply for a drone permit
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  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
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The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn

Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km

Copa del Rey

Barcelona v Real Madrid
Semi-final, first leg
Wednesday (midnight UAE)

Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

If you go

Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.

Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com

A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com

THE TWIN BIO

Their favourite city: Dubai

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Their favourite past-time : walking on the beach

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The lowdown

Rating: 4/5

The Africa Institute 101

Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction. 

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Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

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Price: From Dh590,000

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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Updated: January 07, 2024, 5:00 AM