Yanni arrives in Jeddah for debut Saudi tour
Published: 2017-11-29 11:21
Last Updated: 2024-04-21 17:49
The famous Greek composer and pianist Yanni arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to perform four concerts in Jeddah and Riyadh, in what the world renowned performer described as “history in the making.”
“Hi everyone, we are now in Florida getting ready to fly to Saudi Arabia... We are going to be experiencing history in the making and I would not miss it for anything in the world! First stop Jeddah!” Yanni Tweeted.
Yanni in Saudi Arabia (KSA): Witnessing history in the making!
— Yanni (@Yanni) November 27, 2017
Hi everyone, we are now in Florida getting ready to fly to Saudi Arabia… We are going to be experiencing history in the making and I would not miss it for anything in the world! First stop Jeddah!...Yanni pic.twitter.com/yGcbPh15Si
Upon his arrival in Jeddah, he tweeted a video, accompanied by a message: “We arrived in Jeddah just after 1:00 o’clock in the morning... and it didn’t take me long before I tried to learn Arabic from the media..:) as they all made me feel very welcomed.”
We arrived in Jeddah just after 1:00 o'clock in the morning... and it didn't take me long before I tried to learn Arabic from the media..:) as they all made me feel very welcomed ...Yanni pic.twitter.com/lVMlhWHapk
— Yanni (@Yanni) November 28, 2017
Yanni’s first and second concerts will be held at King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. He will then perform at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center on Dec. 3 and 4.
A favourite of Middle Eastern audiences, Yanni played at Jordan’s Amman citadel last year.
His performances in the conservative kingdom come in the wake of ambitious reforms led by 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
One aspect of these reforms was the creation of a new General Authority for Entertainment, which is reported to have $2.7 billion worth of funding to rejuvenate Saudi leisure activities.
Next month, American rapper Nelly, famous for songs such as “Hot in Herre” and “Dilemma,” is expected to perform alongside Algerian singer Cheb Khaled, as a men-only concert in the kingdom.
