In the music industry, artists have to adapt in order to endure, and festivals face the same reality. Soundstorm is a case in point. Since launching in Riyadh in 2019, the festival has evolved its format and priorities as it has grown into one of the region’s defining music events.
The initial editions were built around shock and awe. Four days of programming, more than 200 artists and crowds nearing a quarter of a million turned the desert site into the most maximalist festival the region had seen.
Those early years lived up to comparisons with Europe’s biggest electronic events, both in scale and intensity. For many, they remain the most overwhelming versions of Soundstorm, where excess was the point, not a by-product.
Over time, that approach began to loosen and the programme was no longer built around back-to-back electronic dance music. Pop and RnB headliners were added, and moving to three days changed the rhythm of the festival.
The experience became more manageable and less exhausting, with curated stages welcoming a multitude of genres rather than competing for volume.
This year marks the festival’s most significant refurbishment. The site itself remains the same, but the stages have been given new aesthetics and the internal layout has been rethought. The central walkthrough area has been reintroduced as City of Beats, now filled with activations and smaller performance spaces that play everything from indie rock to jazz, alongside places to pause and gather between sets.
Spending time there makes something else clear. Soundstorm now has the beginnings of a recognisable community. You can see it in how people dress, from relaxed, easy looks to more deliberate outfits built around jackets, sunglasses and statement bling pieces that feel specific to the festival.
It suggests an audience that knows the rhythm of the event and returns with shared expectations, rather than simply passing through. The updated layout brings the site closer together and makes the main festival stages easier to access.
The distances are still long. A walk from one end of the site to another is over 1km, so you still have to plan your time, but the routes are more direct.
Here are highlights from the three-day festival that ended on Saturday.
Cardi B is all bounce and swagger
Cardi B could have used Soundstorm as a cautious return, with a short set to genuinely see whether she even wanted to be back on stage only weeks after giving birth to her fourth child.
But her performance that closed the festival on Saturday was less a rebuild and more an opportunity to look forward and launch the next phase of her career. The kinetic 80-minute act also set the stage for the I Am The Drama tour to kick off in the US next year.
The balance of material made that clear early on. Of the 12 songs she performed, six came from the album Am I the Drama?, serving as a statement of where Cardi sees herself now. You couldn’t ask for a more declarative set opener than Hello, the blazing synths heralding her arrival like a fanfare. She descended from a raised platform, backed by a dozen dancers, and let rip immediately in a show that was at once fun, physical and relentless.
Pretty & Petty was pure bounce and not subtle in the slightest, while Outside was all propulsion and repetition, and a showcase of Cardi’s punchy and swaggering delivery. The American rapper and new mum is in startlingly great form, crossing the stage constantly, weaving into select pieces of choreography as part of the high-energy material.
Visually, the set-up stayed functional rather than ornate. Twelve dancers, raised platforms and large screens shifted between desert landscapes, urban skylines and cascades of falling dollar bills, particularly during No Limit, when she delivered her killer guest verse from the G-Eazy hit.
While there was no band, the playback tracks were clearly recorded with live-band arrangements, which gave this set the sense that it was made for the occasion.
But ultimately what carried the night most was Cardi herself. There is a beguiling rawness to her, a joy that feels instinctual. The smiles, the “shukrans”, and the grins arrived without cue.
That instinct also shaped how she engaged with Saudi audiences. A day before the show, she posted from her Riyadh hotel, training on a stationary bike while wearing an abaya, saying she was getting ready for the show. On stage, she leaned into that same warmth, dropping “mashallahs” and other garbled Arabic greetings repeatedly, which the crowd lapped up.
This is part of the campiness of Cardi B, which often makes the show feel as welcoming as a fans-only affair – qualities that cement her status as a legitimate festival headliner, ready to head from Riyadh to the world.
Halsey brings big sounds back
In many ways, Halsey’s debut performance in Saudi Arabia on Saturday found her returning to where she started.
Midway through a thoroughly excellent set, the American singer made a striking revelation: when she began her career with the stellar album Badlands in 2015, one of the first international fan clubs to form around her music was based in Riyadh, built online long before she ever set foot in the kingdom. It was a touching moment and helped explain the absolute conviction that ran through what became a standout performance of the festival.
Backed by a minimal four-piece band, the sound still felt huge, giving Halsey room to maraud the stage and deliver each song with total commitment. Her voice was commanding, smoky and tender, always a split second away from becoming a plaintive wail. Badlands material sat at the core of the set, with songs such as Gasoline, Colours and Roman Holiday channelled with particular force. These may be pop songs, but with an alternative core, brooding and heavy, the kind that hit you in the gut and pull you into a world that feels passionate and, at times, deliberately claustrophobic.
In a recent interview with Apple Music, Halsey admitted she is currently “not allowed” to make a new album after her latest release The Great Impersonator failed to meet commercial expectations. Watching her at Soundstorm, and seeing the response she drew, that muzzling felt increasingly hard to justify.
If anything, the quality of this performance, and the connection it generated, underlined why an artist like Halsey still needs space to keep making music on her own terms.
Pitbull delivers endorphin overload
The rapper is vigorously latching on to a particularly successful stretch of his two-decade career with some of his biggest shows to date. Watching him headline the second day of the festival in front of 30,000 people makes it clear why he is close to reaching cult status in the pop world. Pitbull consistently builds on the model used by the most effective touring acts today, artists such as Coldplay and Taylor Swift, who build their shows around a communal sense of joy and release.
Ten minutes into his endorphin overload of a set on Friday, my cynicism melted away about his move away from gritty hip-hop to embrace a fondue-thick pop formula, built around various songs about how to start a party and then keep it going.
Hits such as Give Me Everything and Hotel Room Service are made for open-air festivals like Soundstorm and backed by a tight live band, a full dance troupe and a run of costume changes that draw on Miami Vice gloss and Vegas showmanship. Have I been converted to the Pitbull fan club? Perhaps not. But I now know what I can put on to blow away the cobwebs of the morning.
Post Malone brings full-band era to Riyadh
With so much happening across the site, this feels like the next stage of Soundstorm, one that also matches where Post Malone now finds himself.
The American rapper's set came at the end of a year in which he moved into stadiums for the first time, selling out large venues across the US and Europe. What began earlier in the year, when he introduced a full-band concert set-up at Coachella, has been worked through on the road.
Rather than marking a stylistic pivot, the show brought his different musical strands into the same space. Hip-hop remained the base, with pop, rock and country influences alongside. The band was central to how that balance held, used almost like an expanded backing track while adding colour and warmth to some of the songs. Wow and Better Now carried added weight through the keyboards and the minor-key lines of pedal steel, while I Fall Apart opened up into a looser, more expressive vocal performance.
Newer material and earlier songs were treated the same way. Dead at the Honky Tonk and I Had Some Help sat comfortably alongside White Iverson and Rockstar.
Tyla steps up to the main stage
Tyla’s appearance came at a point where everything appears to be going according to plan. Her rise has been steady, and part of the wider rise of amapiano, a sound that has travelled from South Africa to some of the most attended festivals in the world.
In that way, her moment at Soundstorm felt like a possible crest in amapiano’s global journey, as DJs and festivals continue to work out how to place the genre on the biggest stages. Tyla is going through her own transition, adapting her approach for large festival settings.
When The National last saw her two years ago, she was playing to a smaller but still well-received crowd, including an afternoon performance in Malmo, Sweden. At Soundstorm, she appeared as a main-stage headliner, with another headline slot scheduled at Sole DXB on Saturday. The jump in scale is immediate.
The question is clear: does she have the act to pull this off? The answer, for now, is she's getting there.
Breakout single Water continued to draw a strong response, built around that implacably steady amapiano groove. Truth or Dare and Art were more vibe-y affairs, with percussive ad-libs and nods to 1990s-era R&B. New single Chanel had Tyla back in her amapiano pocket, only this time with the sleek production that comes with an increasingly bigger budget.
Comparisons to Rihanna will continue to follow her, though the jury is still out. At 23, Tyla is the same age Rihanna was when she released hit album Loud in 2010. The difference lies in the voice. Rihanna, at that point, was refining a style full of Caribbean-inflected swagger, delivered with a colder precision, while Tyla’s style is sultrier yet more vulnerable, allowing her potentially to do more interesting things with it.
Benson Boone’s world domination continues
Fresh from his Abu Dhabi Grand Prix appearance earlier in the week, American pop star Boone arrived at Soundstorm with momentum already behind him. What began at Coachella in April has carried through a Gulf run, with each show adding to a fan base that has grown quickly and visibly.
At Soundstorm, Boone charged in with the same confidence. Dressed in all-black, with shades amplifying the Freddie Mercury echoes that have become part of his look, he delivered another energetic set. Where the Abu Dhabi show leaned closer to a full concert performance, the Soundstorm set launched immediately, reflecting the shape of his festival appearances.
He opened straight away with Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else, followed by Coffee Cake, before settling into the set. His voice sounded remarkably intact, considering how much he has been touring this year. That carried through to Man in Me and Drunk in My Mind, both rooted in more straightforward balladry. The latter, in particular, recalled an Elton John Tumbleweed Connection-era shape, without straying from Boone’s own style.
The set lifted again with Mystical Magical, one of his giddier songs, and one that landed easily with the crowd. By the time Boone left the stage, his Gulf audience looked secure, rounding off a regional run.
Soundstorm festival continues in Riyadh until Saturday
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs: 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman
Price, base / as tested Dh222,500 / Dh296,870
Engine 2.0L, flat four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed PDK
Power 300hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque 380hp @ 1,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.9L / 100km
The Orwell Prize for Political Writing
Twelve books were longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The non-fiction works cover various themes from education, gender bias, and the environment to surveillance and political power. Some of the books that made it to the non-fiction longlist include:
- Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie
- Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy
- Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
- Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims by Hussein Kesvani
- Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness'
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachel McAdams
Rating: 3/5
New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
MOTHER%20OF%20STRANGERS
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Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Liverpool v Manchester United - 3.30pm
Burnley v West Ham United - 6pm
Crystal Palace v Chelsea - 6pm
Manchester City v Stoke City - 6pm
Swansea City v Huddersfield Town - 6pm
Tottenham Hotspur v Bournemouth - 6pm
Watford v Arsenal - 8.30pm
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Everton - 4.30pm
Southampton v Newcastle United - 7pm
Monday
Leicester City v West Bromwich Albion - 11pm
RESULTS
Welterweight
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) beat Mostafa Radi (PAL)
(Unanimous points decision)
Catchweight 75kg
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) beat Leandro Martins (BRA)
(Second round knockout)
Flyweight (female)
Manon Fiorot (FRA) beat Corinne Laframboise (CAN)
(RSC in third round)
Featherweight
Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB) beat Ahmed Al Darmaki
(Disqualification)
Lightweight
Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) beat Rey Nacionales (PHI)
(Unanimous points)
Featherweight
Yousef Al Housani (UAE) beat Mohamed Fargan (IND)
(TKO first round)
Catchweight 69kg
Jung Han-gook (KOR) beat Max Lima (BRA)
(First round submission by foot-lock)
Catchweight 71kg
Usman Nurmogamedov (RUS) beat Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
(TKO round 1).
Featherweight title (5 rounds)
Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
(TKO round 1).
Lightweight title (5 rounds)
Bruno Machado (BRA) beat Mike Santiago (USA)
(RSC round 2).
UAE squad
Men's draw: Victor Scvortov and Khalifa Al Hosani, (both 73 kilograms), Sergiu Toma and Mihail Marchitan (90kg), Ivan Remarenco (100kg), Ahmed Al Naqbi (60kg), Musabah Al Shamsi and Ahmed Al Hosani (66kg)
Women’s draw: Maitha Al Neyadi (57kg)
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
More on Quran memorisation:
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Company%20Profile
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'The Predator'
Dir: Shane Black
Starring: Olivia Munn, Boyd Holbrook, Keegan-Michael Key
Two and a half stars
F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
Fixtures (6pm UAE unless stated)
Saturday Bournemouth v Leicester City, Chelsea v Manchester City (8.30pm), Huddersfield v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm), Manchester United v Crystal Palace, Stoke City v Southampton, West Bromwich Albion v Watford, West Ham United v Swansea City
Sunday Arsenal v Brighton (3pm), Everton v Burnley (5.15pm), Newcastle United v Liverpool (6.30pm)
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
NYBL PROFILE
Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
INFO
COMPANY%20PROFILE%3A
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Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Company%20Profile
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
MATCH INFO
English Premiership semi-finals
Saracens 57
Wasps 33
Exeter Chiefs 36
Newcastle Falcons 5
