Saudi Musician- Abadi Al Johar

Saudi musician, Abadi Al-Johar, is known as the ‘King of Oud' for being the most accomplished oud player in the Gulf region.He is known for his own compositions and hits such as awazel and 3eyunak.
Oud in this case is not referring to incense but rather the musical instrument.  It’s name, oud, is derived from the Arabic meaning a thin piece of wood. In the Arab world, the oud is considered to be one of  the oldest musical instruments. In fact, it is the most central instrument in the Middle Eastern music tradition. Some others believe that it is the ancestor of the Pharaonic Egyptian Nefer, whereas, some others say that this instrument is the forebearer of the ancient Persian barbat. Beside this, oud is also known as the ancestor of the European lute.

Some of the defining features of this instrument are as follows:

• Strings- this instrument consists of 11 strings. Among them, 10 strings are paired together, whereas, the lowest string remains single.
• Peg box- from the neck of the oud, the peg box is bent back at a 45-90° angle.
• Sound Holes- this instrument usually has 1-3 oval or circular shaped sound holes.
• Body- the body of the oud has a staved and bowl-like back.

 The oud makes a unique sound due to its short neck which has no frets.
The most common string combination is five pairs of strings tuned in unison and a single bass string, although up to thirteen strings may be found. Strings are generally made of nylon or gut, and are plucked with a plectrum known as a risha (Arabic for feather). Modern strings are made of steel wound over nylon. The instrument has a warm timbre, low tessatura, and is often intricately decorated.
 Here is a short clip of Abadi Al-Johar playing the oud at a concert in Dubai:

Source:
http://www.erratum.org/datas/MUSICOLOGY/The%20Oud%20-%20The%20King%20of%20Arabic%20Instruments.pdf

http://www.arabinstruments.com/112730/The-Oud-instrument

National Museum

The largest, and without doubt, the most important museum in the Kingdom is the National Museum of Antiquities. Situated as one of the cornerstones of the King Abdul Aziz Historical Centre in the Murabba Park, its impressive curved frontage looks out onto a babbling spring that trickles over boulders of basalt which were transported from the north of the country.

The museum was designed by the Canadian firm Moriyama & Teshima Architects with Büro Happold Engineers. The Canadian firm LORD Cultural Resources Planning & Management and the Royal Ontario Museum provided exhibit design services for the 30,000 square-metre project. It features eight galleries which tell the story of Sa’udi Arabia from the earliest of times up to the present day.

The first gallery, called Man and the Universe, presents the creation of the universe and the Earth, the formation of mineral and rock, and the environmental conditions that led to the Kingdom’s accumulation of its vast mineral wealth including the formation and accumulation of oil over millions of years.

The Arabian Kingdoms is the theme of the second hall which examines the different civilizations that inhabited the Arabian Peninsula and the growth of trade in the region. Archaeological objects depicting the development of calligraphy are also shown.

Hall number three is devoted to the pre-Islamic era which lasted from around 400 B.C until the revelation of the Prophet Mohammad. The exhibit includes replicas of the pre historic cities of Makkah, Jarash, Yathrib, Khaibar, Najraan, Khadrama, and Dawmat Aljandal.

Following on from this, the fourth gallery displays the life and mission of the Prophet Mohammad (saw) from the day of his birth until his journey to Madinah – the event that marks the beginning of the Hijrah calendar. It shows his family tree in both Arabic and English, and his biography from the time of his childhood. A large ceramic painting depicts the main events of the Prophet’s life, beginning with his migration from Makkah. Also shown is the way in which the Quraish tribe rebuilt the Ka’abah after its destruction by floods.

Gallery five – Islam and the Arabian Peninsular – concerns the period from the Prophet Mohammed (saw)'s arrival in Madinah until the establishment of the first Sa’udi State: the early era of Islam and the rule of the Caliphs, and the collection, recording, and preservation of the Holy Qur’an.

Also shown is a history of Arabic calligraphy with samples of different types of Arabic script dating from the second Hijrah century .

The first and second Saudi states are the subject of the next gallery, which goes into some depth about the history of Dir’iyyah and the allegiance between Imam Mohammed ibn Abdul Wahhab and the Al Sa’ud. A large three-dimensional replica of the city recreates its streets, mosques, markets and farms. There is also a replica of the new capital of Riyadh during the second Sa’udi state that shows the original walls, streets, buildings and old weaponry of the time.

Unification is the theme of the large circular seventh gallery showing how Abdul Aziz re-captured the city of Riyadh on January 15, 1902 and then went on to unify the regions of Najd, al-Hassa, Asir, Hail, al-Hijjaz and Jazaan. A documentary film demonstrates the discovery of oil in the Kingdom, the subsequent process of development, and its role in the lives of the people of the Arabian Peninsula.

The final hall represents the history of the Two Holy Mosques and the Hajj through the centuries. There are various exhibits that include ancient and recent tools, the fabric covering of the Holy Ka’abah, and some brass and antique artifacts belonging to the Holy Mosque. In addition there is a curtain and a door of the Holy Ka’abah.

You will be hard pressed to do the museum full justice in just one visit, but it should certainly be on everybody’s itinerary when they visit Riyadh.

Enter from King Faisal Street where you see the landmark Water Tower. Pass the Deputy Ministry of Antiquities on your right and find car parking in one of the limited available spaces around the park – either near the Murabba Palace, or outside on the perimeter road of the park itself.

The museum is closed all day Saturday and also on Friday mornings. Families can visit on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings (4.30pm to 9pm) whilst men can visit between 9am and 12 noon on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, as well as on Tuesday evenings. Cost of entry is SR15.

Source:

http://www.simbacom.com/riyadh-ksa/museums/national.html

For more pictures kindly view 
https://www.facebook.com/sumayya.mehtar/media_set?set=a.10150905572587782.517992.739292781&type=3

The Amazing Camel Souq

Whilst at the women's day function with best friend Mr. F, brother Faris informed me that he would be visiting the camel souq with Paul and Mo on Friday afternoon immediately after the midday prayers. As mom had just arrived in the Kingdom a few days ago I thought that it would be an excellent opportunity for mom to experience Saudi culture first hand. Brother Faris agreed to mom and I hopping along with them. Immediately after the midday prayers on Friday, Mom and I made our way to the bus stop. Brother Faris was on time to pick us up and we made our way happily to the camel souq.The souq is located on the Dammam Road, heading east out of Riyadh.A huge area of around five kilometers square is home to the largest collection of camels in the Middle East and is a market that has probably stood the test of time with very little changes over the last few hundred years.

As soon as we arrived at the souq, we instantly fell in love with the baby camels. The souq is guaranteed to bring out the 'aaaahhh' factor in almost anyone.Brother Faris frequents the camel souq quite often and hence he was well acquainted with many of the camel owners. There was a group of Saudi gentlemen who reside in the city but visit the souq on a weekly basis to spend time with their camels. They invited us to join their gathering. They offered us Arabic coffee (qahwa) and dates. One of the gentleman asked his Bangladeshi employee to milk one of the female camels. He wanted us to taste camel milk and then went on to explain the benefits of camel milk.Camel milk is supposedly more nutritious than cow milk. According to the Huffington Post, camel milk has been utilized medicinally for centuries by nomadic people. It is apparently the closest to a human mother's milk and contains 10 times more iron and   three times more vitamin C than cow's milk. At the beginning of 2011, a group of Arab researchers announced that they have made a scientific breakthrough by developing a medical formula for treating cancer using camel's milk and urine. I was quite surprised that camel milk is quite frothy and thick. From a distance it looks like thick fresh cream. If you ever travel through the desert and pass by Bedouin people,make sure you do try the camel milk that they will offer you. Camel milk is also available in most Saudi supermarkets.Most camels within the Kingdom are female. They are reared for their milk in dairy herds.The male camel is usually reared for camel racing and those that are not strong enough to race any more are usually culled. Many camels found at the enclosures within the souq are also kept as pets by Saudis.The normal life span of a camel is 40 years, though a working camel retires from active duty at 25.

Whilst wandering throughout the souq I realized that camels come in various different shades. We seen white camels, black camels and of course the usual tan coloured camels. Mom and I could not get over their sheer beauty. Their faces were so adorable along with their striking eyes. Camels are graced with a double layer of eyelashes to prevent dust and sand from making its way into their eyes.Thick bushy eyebrows shield a camel’s eyes from the desert sun; and when the camel places its foot on the ground its broad, flat, leathery pads with two toes on each foot prevent it from sinking into the sand.

Camels are also extremely sensitive animals. We witnessed a female camel running behind a van.Inside the van there was a small newly born baby camel. The owner was moving the baby camel to another enclosure temporarily. The mother camel was however distressed and as we witnessed her running down the road we sympathized for her and felt her pain. Branding marks or 'wusum' is often applied to the neck, legs or rump of the camel which shows ownership of the animal.As we made our way throughout the souq by foot, we eventually stumbled upon a souvenir shop that contained many bedouin type arts and crafts. After browsing through the shop and buying a few items we then headed to the desert where Brother Faris arranged a camel ride for all of us.The weather was ideal. It was cloudy and overcast with slight drizzles in between. Mo and Paul were such fun company. They kept mom and I entertained throughout the day. It was certainly an afternoon and an experience that I will cherish forever.

How do I get to the camel souq?

Continue along the Dammam Road for approximately 10 kms, whence you will see endless camel enclosures on your left. Come off at the next exit, following signs for Thumamah, and the camel souq is on the left hand side of the road. 

Another way to reach the camel souq is from the airport. Take the eastbound road signposted Private Aviation and drive as far as you can go - past the end of the airport runway, right through the check point, across the junction and when you meet the junction at Janadriyah, turn right - past the BAE Systems Salwa compound and continue straight for  the next 20km. The souq will appear on your right hand side.

Source:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/409153-health-benefits-of-drinking-camel-milk/


http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/35/2011011320110113032337648468ee8de/New-treatment-for-cancer-using-camel%E2%80%99s-milk-urine-.html

One eyed Jack

 The last 24 hours have actually been quite a roller coaster ride.We left Makkatul Mukarrama around 3pm yesterday afternoon only to arrive at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah to find out that our flight has been delayed indefinitely on account of bad weather across the gulf. There was a huge sandstorm accompanied by rain and heavy winds.
To add insult to injury we were not overweight and allowed a total of 60kg between us. When we got to the check inn counter the inexperienced staff member insisted that he will only allow one piece of luggage to go through which was only 20kg and said that I should pay him a certain amount of money should I wish for the rest of the luggage to go through. It's obvious to me that he was looking to take the money for himself as all excess luggage at the airport has to be paid at a specific counter,
not directly to  the check inn staff. So then we started exchanging words and I called up his manager. The manager was quite a bold man with good etiquette and fantastic interpersonal skills.He reprimanded his junior and apologized on his behalf for his incompetent behaviour and said that this will not occur in the future.
We then made our way to the waiting area which was full and chaotic as many flights were grounded and unable to take off. Eventually after a good three hours wait we boarded the flight.We got home past midnight and we dashed straight off to bed. When I woke up this morning I couldn't open my left eye and the first thought that came to mind was conjunctivitis that I probably contracted from the lady I assisted to embark the plane as she had loads of hand luggage but as the day progressed I realized that I had developed a cellulitis (an infection that spreads under the skin, affecting soft tissues such as the skin itself and the fat underneath it) that spread around the eye area. I cut myself with my ring a few days ago just above my eye brow and never really thought much about it. It looked like just a small scratch. However, the skin was broken and hence germs and bacteria were allowed to enter. My colleagues have placed me on high doses of antibiotics and I hope God Willing the infection will disappear within the next few days although they made lots of fun of me.I was told that the reason my eye is swollen is either due to the fact that I have been watching many gorgeous, handsome looking Arab men or on the flip side of things my boyfriend gave me a blue eye LOL The moral of the story is this...Don't take the smallest things in life for granted, for its the smallest things that could land up causing major issues..If you have any small ailment like a cough or a headache that persists, rather get yourself checked up by the physician instead of developing major complications later on.Don’t take your health for granted, that flighty thing. Anyone who’s battled with their own knows how temperamental a body can be. That humans are imperfect machines, short-circuiting beneath our skin a tiny bit each day. Once the health goes, it leaves the door open so that many other things can go with it.!!!!May God Almighty protect us all from sicknesses and calamities and provide complete cure to those who are afflicted with ailments and diseases. Ameen!!

Saudis to Crack Down on Harassment

 

A few days ago,the  Saudi government has granted  permission for young, single males to enter shopping malls. Previously, they had been banned because they caused too much disruption and discomfort by harassing women and girls trying to shop. Banning them did not really resolve the problem of harassment, though, as the men would just hang around the entrances to the malls and do their harassing there.Single men were only allowed to enter a shopping mall in the company of family members (sister, mother etc) or during lunch time hours on weekdays.
To get at the issue, there’s going to be more attention paid to the bad behavior, rather than just assuming that all youths will act badly. Saudi Gazette reports that the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice will be heightening their patrols and intercede when they see the lads acting up.The new laws, based on the severity of the infraction, will offer a range of penalties from fine and floggings to jail terms.

Eve teasers in malls to be referred to court
RIYADH – Single men have been granted permission to enter malls and shopping centers but anyone found harassing women shoppers will be referred to the Shariah Court, according to a recent directive issued by Dr. Abdullatif Aal Al-Sheikh, General President of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (the Hai’a).
“I gave instructions to the field members of the Hai’a to closely monitor markets and not to be lenient with anyone who harasses families and women. I instructed them to hand those guilty of harassment over to the Shariah Court immediately,” Dr. Aal Al-Sheikh was quoted as saying in a section of the Arabic press Thursday.

Source:

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=20120323120211

Where are the religious police when you really need them?????

Yesterday morning Mom and I decided to make our way to Haraj bin Qassem Princess Souk. I heard through word of mouth that the Souk bursts with gorgeous clothing especially evening gowns and other items like antique furniture and kitchenware. There are many stores that sell second hand clothing, but there are also stores that sell clothes that have not been worn and still have the tag on them. I have been told that many of the clothes were likely cast offs from members of the Royal family. The clothes span from items for children, western dress for men such as business suits, dress shorts, casual clothes, jeans to traditional dress such as thobes, bischts, shemaghs, farwas and for the women, what an incredible selection! Here is where one will even find a large selection of wedding dresses as well as haute couture gowns in addition to skirts, day dresses, jeans, blouses and traditional Saudi abayas and jalabiyyas for women as well. The maximum price one would typically pay for an outfit such as a man’s western business suit or a woman’s haute couture gown is SR30 (less than US$10).

I also wish to point out to you  that with  regards to clothes, we are not talking about junk or out of fashion rejects. Many of these items are designer clothes, very well made and still in the height of fashion and many of them are brand new with the tag still on.Sadly a lot of Saudis when hearing of this souk have a stigma at the mere thought of going somewhere and looking at “second hand goods.” Well, then that is their loss and everyone elses gain! I have no qualms going to the second hand souk where I may find an Oscar de la Rente or Chanel gown in excellent immaculate condition or even brand new and IN MY SIZE for SR30 as compared to SR7,000 from an exclusive boutique.My Saudi friends however warned me from frequenting the Souk alone and insisted that if I do go to that area of town I should go in a group and its better if a male accompanied us. I didn't take their warning too seriously as I thought we would be visiting the Souk during the day in broad daylight so nothing could possibly go wrong....When we arrived at the Souk it was bursting with activities..

There were hundreds of people shopping,bargaining and there was a huge cacophony of sound coming from the hooting cars trying to make their way through the narrow streets.Mom I and started making our way through the various clothing stalls. Not even fifteen minutes had elapsed and the harassment started despite us being covered in an Abaya and Niqaab. I noticed groups of men trying to brush up against us in the narrow aisles.. One man went as far as trying to drop his mobile number

that he had written on a piece of paper inside my handbag. Naturally I shouted at him. Then we noticed a group of Filipino women being harassed as well. They were also screaming and shouting at the top of their voices and the one woman clobbered a man with her hand bag as he had apparently 

groped her

.

The shocking part is that almost all of the men loitering around the souk were displaying such disgusting and ridiculous behaviour.Some of them were Saudi Arabs whilst others were from African, Asian as well as Middle Eastern origins.Not being able to endure the harassment any further, I called my driver and we simply left. Its quite a shame as the Souk had some pretty interesting items and we really wanted to explore the area.Mom said that she never expected men in a Muslim country to behave in such a despicable manner.She has traveled throughout the world but today was the first time that she had experienced such disgusting behaviour from 'so called' Muslim men. Islam has always upheld the respect and the dignity of a woman but its a shame that the Muslim men we encountered at the Souk today did not have respect for women at all.How can these same men who probably have wives, sisters and mothers treat other women in a degrading manner?
 The strange part about the whole episode is that whilst I have seen the religious police frequenting the upper class areas of town,I was unable to see one religious police member frequenting the Souk. Perhaps that's the reason that the men prowling the Souk with roving eyes are given Carte Blanche to do as they please.I honestly think that the authorities that be need to put some system in place so that the women frequenting the area can feel safe whilst shopping at the Souk without experiencing any feeling of discomfort, fear or intimidation.

Saudis Look to Drop Individual Sponsorship----Good news for sure!!!

As reported by Saudi Gazette,under the current laws of Saudi Arabia, an individual or company wishing to hire a foreign worker recruits that worker, usually through a recruitment agency. It then sets its own rules, often through contract, about the terms of work, conditions, and responsibilities. The result is a mess of rules so complicated that no one really knows what’s going on. For instance, employers are not permitted by law to hold onto their employees contracts, yet many do because they feel it offers them some sort of insurance against employee misbehavior. Employers, at present, make many decisions about how, where, or if their employees travel, both within and outside the country. They also decide whether they’ll sponsor a worker’s family.
This is going to change, Arab News reports. The Ministry of Labor has finished its study of sponsorship procedures and is about to do away with individual sponsorship. In the future, all foreign workers will be recruited, hired, and managed by a handful of companies. These companies will handle all the procedures concerning foreign workers, mostly through uniform contracts. Interestingly, the new procedures will include an insurance component to provide financial coverage of both employer and employee conduct. How much the cost of insurance will add to the cost of foreign workers is not discussed.
It’s interesting, too, that the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) will be on the board of governors for the new employment companies.

 
Ministry completes study on replacing sponsorship system
JEDDAH: GALAL FAKKAR
The Labor Ministry has completed a study on prospects of canceling the individual kafala (sponsorship) system replacing it with recruitment companies. The move may lead to the nullification of sponsorship system all together at a later stage.
The study, which took five years to complete, included the rules and regulations for the new recruitment companies. “The study will be presented to the Council of Ministers shortly for approval,” an informed source told Arab News.
The study proposed the formation of a commission under the Labor Ministry to look into foreign labor issues and put end to the traditional sponsorship system. The commission will be based in Riyadh and will have branches in major cities.
The study advised the government not to hold passports of foreign workers and cancel the condition of obtaining sponsor’s approval for a worker to bring his family to the Kingdom.
According to the new system, an employer would not be responsible for the wrong actions of a foreign worker outside his work. “The new system is designed to protect the rights of both foreign workers and employers,” the source said.