For choreographer Hashem Hussain, dance is everything. Not content with teaching, Hussain made the move from Los Angeles back to his native Saudi Arabia to be part of an artistic revolution taking place in the kingdom.
“Dance is my passion,” he says as he walks through one of Jeddah's new art galleries preparing for a shoot with a Saudi fashion brand. “But I want to contribute to the community with bigger projects than just teaching dance classes.”
Up until a few years ago, Hussain, 27, says none of this seemed possible. Then Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman helped open the door for young people to burst onto the art and creative scene with the kingdom’s Vision 2030 – an ambitious set of reforms that seek to change almost every aspect of life in the country.
In the last five years since Vision 2030 launched, Saudi Arabia has brought in innumerable legal and bureaucratic reforms but also opened to foreign tourists, hosted major sporting events and created one of the region’s newest major entertainment sectors that include headline acts like MDL BEAST, the largest international music festival in the region.
“With me teaching and creating shows I believe I am contributing to the quality of life and helping the community development through art,” Hussain says. “[Any] negative connotations around art and dance have been lifted from people's minds, all thanks to Saudi Arabia and their efforts to create a better life for all of us.”
Most of Hussain's students are young girls passionate about dance who have finally found a venue within their country to explore their potential.
Five years ago, this too would have seemed like a dream since the mixing of genders was limited. However, with gender equality squarely part of Vision 2030, opportunities for women are opening up.
Five years ago, women were not allowed to drive. Today, Saudi women are racing in F1 events. They are also DJ-ing at public events and taking their place as the chief executives of major businesses.
“With the changes that the kingdom has implemented, I was able to get more opportunities to create shows and perform on different stages. This helped me grow as an artist and improve my quality of life, as I am able to practice my art with no walls,” Hussain says.
Since moving home in 2017, the engineering graduate has trained performers for major events, including at the Dakar Rally in Qiddiya.
On returning to Jeddah, he opened up a hip-hop and dance studio. But, he decided the best way to generate a buzz around dance in the kingdom was to get on a major TV show in the region.
“We figured the best opportunity for us to be established in the Middle East was to audition for Arabs Got Talent 2019, which we did and got in,” he recalls. Hussain got a so-called “golden buzzer” in the first round of the show that instantly took him through to round two – and sparked a lot of talk on social media.
His ties to showbiz events continue.
“[In] 2020, I had what I would say was one of my dreams come true,” he explains. “I got a chance to choreograph for an artist, and what a better artist than Hamza Hawsawi – the Saudi winner of X-Factor.”
Hussain performed on stage alongside Hamza, which he described as “an honour”.
“Dance and music go hand in hand, like salt and pepper,” he says, adding that since he was 10 years old he has been listening to music – especially his favourite, R&B.
“To work alongside another Saudi artist that creates A-list R&B music is a huge achievement for me. I hope I get more opportunities like that in the future.”
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
The specs: 2019 Lincoln MKC
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Fuel economy, combined: 10.7L / 100km
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Pickford, Pope.
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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