Saudi Gazette report

ABU DHABI — A series of live online concerts is scheduled be held in Abu Dhabi during the Eid Al-Fitr holiday (May 23-May 25).

The initiative which has been launched by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, aims to uplift people across the world amidst global lockdowns and travel restrictions, UAE’s official news agency WAM reported.

It follows the launch of Abu Dhabi’s #StayCurious platform last month, which provides state-of-the-art virtual experiences, as well as educational and informative content for audiences worldwide.

Joining to celebrate the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, the Cultural Foundation will host two exclusive performances live-streamed on its YouTube channel, featuring Arab superstar Kadim Al Sahir on May 24 and Emirati pop star Hussain Al Jassmi on May 25.

The concerts have been organized as part of DCT Abu Dhabi’s online initiative CulturAll, offering virtual content from the emirate’s biggest museums, landmarks and cultural attractions.

Commenting on the initiative, Saood Al Hosani, acting undersecretary at DCT Abu Dhabi said: "This is the first Eid holiday that the world will witness under the exceptional circumstances that we are going through. DCT Abu Dhabi felt the importance of creating a series of events that spreads the joy of Eid and helps generate excitement and happiness amongst worldwide audiences. We thank all the artists and speakers that have joined our brilliant roster of stars for this series, and we hope that everyone will tune in and enjoy the shows we have prepared for them."

The collaboration series will be hosted by acclaimed Emirati singer and producer Fayez Al Saeed and will feature performances by top artists from across the Middle East, such as Waleed al Shami; Lebanese sensation Yara and star Bader Al Shuaibi.

In a special Eid Al-Fitr celebration, two legendary artists, Kadim Al Sahir and Hussain Al Jassmi, will perform some of their biggest hits during exclusive concerts live-streamed via the Cultural Foundation YouTube channel, on May 24 and May 25 respectively. Both performances will begin at 8 p.m.

Kadim Al Sahir, the "Caesar of Arabic Music" as he was nicknamed by poet Nizar Qabbani, is a singer, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist who has sold over 100 million albums and broken the record of highest-attended Arabic concert of all time.

Beloved Emirati pop star Hussain Al Jassmi is well-known throughout the region and has performed all around the world, notably becoming the first Arab artist to perform in the Vatican's annual Christmas concert. Recently, Al Jassmi took part in the global One World Together at Home concert.