Kuwait and Saudi Arabia meet Korea in a new Spotify release.
As part of the platform's emerging artist initiative, Radar Mena, Kuwaiti-Saudi singer Bader Al Shuaibi teams up with K-pop artist AleXa for Is it On, a dance-pop number fit for the summer.
The track is Radar Mena's first collaboration featuring a K-pop act as it continues its mission of paring regional artists with international names.
Other tacks released under the banner include last month's remix of Jordanian singer Issam Alnajjar's viral hit Hadal Ahbek with Canada's Ali Gates and Loud Luxury, as well as 2020's Save Me, featuring Dubai-based British electronic music duo Hollaphonic and Lebanese soul singer Xriss Jor.
The numbers don’t lie
While Is it On may initially sound like a random pairing, the collaboration occurred off the back of impressive streaming numbers.
"K-pop is performing amazingly well across the world, but especially so in the Gulf, where we see K-Pop releases shoot to the peak position on charts," says Wissam Khodur, head of Artist and Label Partnerships at Spotify Mena.
“Equally as important is opening up the export market to artists both ways, growing their fan bases globally and paving the way for more opportunities in their career development.”
Al Shuaibi, 26, also sees the possibilities, with musical and physical borders no longer challenges to overcome.
“It’s 2021, we barely see any borders between cultures and people", he says.
"This project is the child of globalisation and my personal love for Korean Pop culture.
“AleXa is an extremely talented artist and together I believe we created the coolest cross-cultural collaboration, ever.”
Alexa says: "I'm so grateful for this collaboration. It's a fresh, never-heard-before mix of cultures and sound.
“I really can’t wait for our fans to hear this track all over the world.”
K-Pop a regional force
While global popularity beckons, Is it On will surely find a receptive audience in the region.
K-pop continues to be a dominant music force across the Arab world with leading groups BTS and Monsta X playing sold-out shows in Riyadh in 2019.
The UAE also hosted large concerts including the 2018 SMTOWN Live festival in Dubai featuring 10 acts including Exo, BoA and Super Junior.
Abu Dhabi was also home to a KCon event in 2016 featuring BTS pre-mega stardom.
While it remains to be seen if Is it On will become a hit, the collaboration between Al Shuaibi and AleXa proves everyone can join the K-pop party.
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Read more:
'Hadal Ahbek': How Jordanian teen Issam Alnajjar captured the attention of The Weeknd's manager
The international rise of Korean pop music
How K-pop conquered India
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Brief scoreline:
Wolves 3
Neves 28', Doherty 37', Jota 45' 2
Arsenal 1
Papastathopoulos 80'
How Sputnik V works
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
