The orchestra's expansive repertoire is shaped by the Iraqi-Jordanian Layth Sidiq’s own journeys. Photo: Layth Sidiq
The orchestra's expansive repertoire is shaped by the Iraqi-Jordanian Layth Sidiq’s own journeys. Photo: Layth Sidiq
The orchestra's expansive repertoire is shaped by the Iraqi-Jordanian Layth Sidiq’s own journeys. Photo: Layth Sidiq
The orchestra's expansive repertoire is shaped by the Iraqi-Jordanian Layth Sidiq’s own journeys. Photo: Layth Sidiq

How the New York Arabic Orchestra is rebuilding to become 'a strong force'


Saeed Saeed
  • English
  • Arabic

Expect a vibrant programme when the New York Arabic Orchestra launches its performance season in September. The renowned ensemble, specialising in Arabic classical and traditional music, will perform in the US, with dates and details to be released soon.

The news marks a new and bittersweet milestone for the institution, which returns to the stage after two years and under new leadership.

Iraqi-Jordanian violinist and composer Layth Sidiq was appointed the ensemble's new artistic director in 2021, after the death of his predecessor and the orchestra’s co-founder Bassam Saba. The pioneering musician reportedly succumbed to complications from Covid-19 in his native Lebanon.

Speaking to The National on the one-year anniversary of his appointment, Sidiq hopes the most challenging periods are over for the group.

An avid basketball fan, he uses a sports metaphor to describe the orchestra’s current situation.

"There are teams that have the budget to bring in any player they want to win the championship,” he says. “We, on the other hand, are in a rebuilding phase. We are a younger team and with a new culture that, in perhaps two or three years, will be a strong force."

In addition to the immense loss of Saba, the lack of shows and physical rehearsals owing to Covid-19 resulted in the loss of valuable funding and personnel. Before the pandemic, the orchestra boasted up to 30 members, whereas it has now slimmed down to 22, with weekly practice sessions recently moving from Zoom to in-person.

Education at play

It will also be an orchestra with an expansive repertoire shaped by Sidiq’s own journeys. Born in Iraq and picking up the violin at the age of 4, he went on to study at The National Music Conservatory in Jordan.

As well as landing a scholarship at Boston's Berklee College of Music, Sidiq supported a number of jazz and world music artists at global tours, including Indian composer AR Rahman and Palestinian-American multi-instrumentalist Simon Shaheen.

The latter performed at New York University Abu Dhabi's The Arts Centre on April 15, with Sidiq as part of his ensemble.

Layth Sidiq performs in NYU Abu Dhabi's The Arts Centre as part of Palestinian-American musician Simon Shaheen's ensemble. Photo: Waleed Shah
Layth Sidiq performs in NYU Abu Dhabi's The Arts Centre as part of Palestinian-American musician Simon Shaheen's ensemble. Photo: Waleed Shah

In addition to the orchestra and his solo touring schedule, Sidiq also serves as director of the Centre for Arabic Culture's Youth Orchestra in Boston, a music education programme spreading awareness of Arabic music among US youth.

That blend of modern, classic and traditional will be at the heart of the New York Arabic Orchestra's coming programme.

"Education will also play a major role in that," Sidiq says. "We want to collaborate with musicians, whether they are new in New York or in the north-east of the United States, in places like Boston and Washington DC, as well as cultivating a new community of musicians who are also creating in their respective areas.

“We want them to join us in not only playing important music of the past, but also what is new and that's done today.”

That message of exploration will also be delivered across US schools and institutions.

"Most of the time, when it comes to music education in the US and even in the Middle East, the focus is on western European music,” he says. “That's what I studied as a young child in Jordan, but why wasn't I also taught music from the Arab world? Music education should be more inclusive of not just Arabic but other cultures as well.

“This will help bring social change and this is what the orchestra does.”

A homecoming

While the focus is on tuning in non-Arabic audiences into the richness of the art form, nothing beats the thrill of performing in the region, says Sidiq. Prior to playing with Shaheen in Abu Dhabi, Sidiq was in Iraq with his own ensemble for a moving performance at Mosul Museum.

“This was the first time I was in Iraq after 30 years and the warmth we received was touching," he says. "And that was not because of me, but it was from people hungry to hear music in a city that was so damaged by war.

“It was emotional for me because these are some of the things we take for granted as musicians who tour and perform. For many other people, this is not their reality."

It was also on stage, beneath the museum’s regal chandeliers, where Sidiq reached another realisation.

"This was a place where, not a long time ago, ISIS was breaking statues and destroying precious artefacts," he says. "It just proved to me how art always has a way of prevailing.”

More information on the New York Arabic Orchestra is available at nyarabicorchestra.org

Brief scoreline:

Al Wahda 2

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Al Nassr 3

Hamdallah 41', Giuliano 45 1', 62'

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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

Your rights as an employee

The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.

The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.

If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.

Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.

The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.

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Sole survivors
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How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

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Started: 2018

Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo

Based: Dubai

Sector: Transport

Size: 9 employees

Investment: $1,275,000

Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri

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Transmission: 10-speed auto

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Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica

Best Agent: Jorge Mendes

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 Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo

 Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP

 Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart

Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)

Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)

Best Women's Player:  Lucy Bronze

Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi

 Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)

 Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)

 Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs

Porsche Taycan Turbo specs

Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors

Transmission: two-speed

Power: 671hp

Torque: 1050Nm

Range: 450km

Price: Dh601,800

On sale: now

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Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra

 

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The specs

A4 35 TFSI

Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder

Transmission: seven-speed S-tronic automatic

Power: 150bhp

Torque: 270Nm

Price: Dh150,000 (estimate)

On sale: First Q 2020

A4 S4 TDI

Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel

Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic

Power: 350bhp

Torque: 700Nm

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On sale: First Q 2020

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

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  • Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
  • The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
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  • Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
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Producer: JP Films, Zee Studios
Director: JP Dutta
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Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

EA Sports FC 26

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Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S

Rating: 3/5

Updated: April 20, 2022, 11:32 AM