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Saudi Orchestra…Artistic Experience Raising National Music to International Horizons

Since February 2020, the Music Commission has worked to develop the infrastructure for musical culture in the Kingdom (SPA).
Since February 2020, the Music Commission has worked to develop the infrastructure for musical culture in the Kingdom (SPA).
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Saudi Orchestra…Artistic Experience Raising National Music to International Horizons

Since February 2020, the Music Commission has worked to develop the infrastructure for musical culture in the Kingdom (SPA).
Since February 2020, the Music Commission has worked to develop the infrastructure for musical culture in the Kingdom (SPA).

When a group of international musicians stood on the sidelines of the G20’s ministers of culture’s meeting in India to perform “Sur Vasudha”, celebrating the musical heritage of these countries, the head of the Saudi Orchestra appeared in their national garment and Arabic accent to partake in the song, which described the whole world as one family. From India, to France, Mexico, Jordan, and many other countries, the Saudi National Orchestra has played a universal musical language that connects people from around the world, and reminds them of what they have in common.

In every international event, with the participation of around 70 Saudi performers and instrument players, the National Saudi Orchestra and Choir perform a bouquet of folkloric, patriotic, and modern songs that highlight the Saudi musical culture, and the special products of the national music library.

The Saudi Orchestra led unprecedented international events in which it blended the diverse and rich Saudi musical folklore with the music of the hosting countries. On social media, fans shared some of the exceptional pieces the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir performed with other international groups, including the Carlos Chávez Orchestra at Mexico’s National Theater, where the audience genuinely applauded in appreciation of the great performance blending the two musical experiences.

An 80-year-old experience

The Saudi National Orchestra and Choir debuted as an early experience, in 1942, when Saudi Defense Minister, Prince Mansour bin Abdulaziz named renowned artist and one of the first Saudi composers, Tariq Abdul-Hakim to form a military music band, which became the core of an artistic journey that grew with time and helped create a unique Saudi musical identity.

Abdul-Hakim traveled to Egypt in 1952, to start the preparations for a Saudi orchestra. During his trip, he met with esteemed Arabic and Egyptian musicians, who helped shape his musical taste and journey. Back from his trip, which also included Lebanon, he started founding the first military music institute in the kingdom, and a musical group that paved the road for a prospering artistic era.

New phase and promising start

In 2019, in light of a rising momentum in the culture sector, the Saudi Culture Ministry announced the formation of the Saudi National Music Band, and the development of a professional team that represents the kingdom internationally, and promotes the Saudi music and musical heritage around the globe. The ministry chose the Saudi esteemed crooner, Abdel Rab Idris, who convoyed the Saudi music experience since its early days, to build the national team and teach different types of Arabic and international music, as well as supporting and promoting the music industry in Saudi Arabia, and spreading the national musical folklore around the world.

Following the revelation of a new cultural network in the kingdom led by the ministry of culture, which distributed the sector’s missions on 11 specialized commissions, the Saudi Music Commission launched in 2021 its own strategy to develop and support music in the kingdom in accordance with the Vision 2030. As part of its strategy, the commission has supported the outlets that facilitate access to the Saudi music product, enhanced the presence of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir, an upgraded version of the Saudi National Music Band born in 2019.

Symbolic power and cultural identity

Maestro Imad Zaree said the National Orchestra and Choir represent the Saudi musical heritage on the international level, and provides a support system for the Saudi artists and musician in different fields. He also noted that the national band supports the local artistic movement with the discovery of talents and their qualification through specially-curated programs, as well as supporting the different art fields, promoting the Saudi heritage internationally, and boosting the goals of the Vision 2030, which defines culture, in its different categories, as a symbolic power, cultural identity, and economic addition.

Zaree, who led the National Orchestra and Choir in several international events, hailed the efforts of the ministry in setting plans that resulted in early accomplishments in international events. “We have seen the efforts of Culture Minister, Prince Badr bin Abdullah and their remarkable interest in supporting the foundation of the group and the development of its work. These efforts are manifested in the level of professionalism among the group’s members performing local and Arabic arts,” he added. This serves the interest of the Saudi art and artists, and helps spread the Saudi music experience to the world.

Thriving Saudi music and arts

Music has flourished in Saudi Arabia with many new experiences and entities created to develop the music sector and nurture promising talents. The sector has witnessed new initiatives and the opening of new music institutes for those wishing to develop their potential and engage in the new artistic phase.

Since February 2020, the Music Commission has been working on developing the infrastructure for a musical culture in the Kingdom, offering everyone the opportunity to learn music, as well as discovering, developing and empowering musical talents, spreading awareness of music culture, and establishing a sector that contributes to the domestic economy by creating jobs for both genders, live cultural performances, music recordings and amateur music education centers. The commission has also focused on reviving and documenting Saudi folklore and music performances to grow the national and social sense, developing the musical cultural identity of Saudi Arabia and promoting it regionally and globally, and emphasizing the kingdom’s leading position in the Arab and Islamic world.

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Prince Mohammed bin Salman Project Restores Century-Old Uqlat Al-Suqur Mosque in Qassim

The renovation utilized traditional mud, stone, and wood to preserve the mosque's authentic Najdi architectural style. (SPA)
The renovation utilized traditional mud, stone, and wood to preserve the mosque's authentic Najdi architectural style. (SPA)
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Prince Mohammed bin Salman Project Restores Century-Old Uqlat Al-Suqur Mosque in Qassim

The renovation utilized traditional mud, stone, and wood to preserve the mosque's authentic Najdi architectural style. (SPA)
The renovation utilized traditional mud, stone, and wood to preserve the mosque's authentic Najdi architectural style. (SPA)

The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Project for the Development of Historical Mosques has completed the restoration of the Uqlat Al-Suqur Mosque in Qassim Region, revitalizing a heritage landmark dating back to 1922, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Saturday.

Originally the only mosque in the area, it served as a vital religious and social hub for education and community governance.

The renovation, executed by specialized Saudi firms, utilized traditional mud, stone, and wood to preserve its authentic Najdi architectural style.

The project increased the mosque's area to 544 square meters, expanding its capacity to 250 worshippers while maintaining its historical identity.

The initiative aligns with Vision 2030 to preserve the Kingdom's urban heritage and boost the cultural and religious significance of its historical mosques for future generations.

Culture

Tomb More Than 1,000 Years Old Found in Panama

This handout picture released by Panama’s Ministry of Culture shows an archaeologist working inside a pre-Hispanic tomb approximately 1,200 years old, discovered at the El Cano Archaeological Park in Cocle, Panama, on February 20, 2026. (Handout / Panama’s Ministry of Culture / AFP)
This handout picture released by Panama’s Ministry of Culture shows an archaeologist working inside a pre-Hispanic tomb approximately 1,200 years old, discovered at the El Cano Archaeological Park in Cocle, Panama, on February 20, 2026. (Handout / Panama’s Ministry of Culture / AFP)
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Tomb More Than 1,000 Years Old Found in Panama

This handout picture released by Panama’s Ministry of Culture shows an archaeologist working inside a pre-Hispanic tomb approximately 1,200 years old, discovered at the El Cano Archaeological Park in Cocle, Panama, on February 20, 2026. (Handout / Panama’s Ministry of Culture / AFP)
This handout picture released by Panama’s Ministry of Culture shows an archaeologist working inside a pre-Hispanic tomb approximately 1,200 years old, discovered at the El Cano Archaeological Park in Cocle, Panama, on February 20, 2026. (Handout / Panama’s Ministry of Culture / AFP)

Archaeologists have discovered a tomb more than a thousand years old in Panama containing human remains alongside gold and ceramic artifacts, the lead researcher told AFP on Friday.

The discovery was made at the El Cano site in the Nata district about 200 kilometers (124 miles) southwest of Panama City.

Scientists and archaeologists have already unearthed other remains of pre-Hispanic cultures in the region that has been excavated for two decades.

The skeletal remains were found surrounded by gold objects and pottery decorated with traditional motifs, pointing to these being "high-ranking" individuals, archaeologist Julia Mayo told AFP, adding that the tomb was built between 800 and 1000 AD.

"The individual with the gold was the one with the highest social status in the group," she said.

That body was found with two bracelets, two earrings, and pectoral jewelry that featured bats and crocodiles, she added.

The El Cano archaeological site is linked to the societies that inhabited the central provinces of Panama between the 8th and 11th centuries.

"This is where they buried their dead for 200 years," said Mayo.

Nine other tombs "similar" to the one found on Friday had already been found at the site, she added.

Panama's Ministry of Culture said the discovery was "of great importance for Panamanian archaeology and the study of pre-Hispanic societies of the Central American isthmus," referring to the land that connects North and South America.

According to experts, these excavations demonstrate that death did not represent an end for these societies, but a transition to another phase where social status remained important.

Culture

When in Rome: Budapest Pizzeria Offers Time-Travel Twist with Ancient Rome-Inspired Pie

László Bárdossy, head chef of the Neverland Pizzeria adds topping on the restaurant's Roman-era pizza in Budapest, Hungary, on Feb. 11, 2026. (AP)
László Bárdossy, head chef of the Neverland Pizzeria adds topping on the restaurant's Roman-era pizza in Budapest, Hungary, on Feb. 11, 2026. (AP)
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When in Rome: Budapest Pizzeria Offers Time-Travel Twist with Ancient Rome-Inspired Pie

László Bárdossy, head chef of the Neverland Pizzeria adds topping on the restaurant's Roman-era pizza in Budapest, Hungary, on Feb. 11, 2026. (AP)
László Bárdossy, head chef of the Neverland Pizzeria adds topping on the restaurant's Roman-era pizza in Budapest, Hungary, on Feb. 11, 2026. (AP)

In Hungary’s capital, a city best known for its goulash, a pizzeria is inviting diners to travel back two millennia to a time before tomatoes, mozzarella or even the word “pizza” were known in Europe.

At Neverland Pizzeria in central Budapest, founder Josep Zara and his team have created a limited-edition pie using only ingredients that would have been available in ancient Rome, long before what we know today as pizza ever existed.

“Curiosity drove us to ask what pizza might have been like long ago,” Zara said. “We went all the way back to the Roman Empire and wondered whether they even ate pizza at the time.”

Strictly speaking, they did not. Tomatoes arrived in Europe centuries later from the Americas, and mozzarella was as yet unknown. Some histories have it that the discovery of mozzarella led directly to the invention of pizza in Naples in the 1700s.

But Romans did eat oven-baked flatbreads topped with herbs, cheeses and sauces, the direct ancestors of modern pizza, which were often sold in ancient Roman snack bars called thermopolia.

In 2023, archaeologists uncovered a fresco in Pompeii depicting a focaccia-like flatbread topped with what appear to be pomegranate seeds, dates, spices and a pesto-like spread. The image made headlines around the world, and sparked Zara’s imagination.

“That made me very curious about what kind of flavor this food might have had,” he said. “That’s where we got the idea to create a pizza that people might have eaten in the Roman Empire, using only ingredients that were in wide use at the time.”

Zara began researching Roman culinary history, consulting a historian in Germany as well as the ancient cookbook De re coquinaria, thought to have been authored around the 5th century. Following his research, he compiled a list of historically documented ingredients to present to the pizzeria's head chef.

“We sat down to imagine what we might be able to make using these ingredients, and without using things like tomatoes and mozzarella,” Zara said. “We had to exclude all ingredients that originated from America.”

Head chef László Bárdossy said the constraints forced the team into months of experimentation, and a few false starts.

“We had to discard a couple ideas,” Bárdossy said. “The fact that there wasn’t infrastructure like a water system at the time of the Romans made things difficult for us, since more than 80% of pizza dough is water. We had to come up with something that would have worked before running water.”

The solution: helping the dough rise using fermented spinach juice. Ancient grains such as einkorn and spelt, widely cultivated in Roman times, formed the base, and the dough ended up slightly more dense than that of most modern pizzas.

The finished pie is topped with ingredients associated with Roman aristocratic cuisine, including epityrum, an olive paste, garum, a fermented fish sauce ubiquitous in Roman cooking, confit duck leg, toasted pine nuts, ricotta and a grape reduction.

“Our creation can be called a modern pizza from the perspective that we tried to make it comprehensible for everyone,” Bárdossy said. “Although we wouldn’t use all its ingredients for everyday dishes. There is a narrow niche that thinks this is delicious and is curious about it, while most people want more conventional pizza, so it’s not for everyday eating. It’s something special.”

For Zara, the project reflects Neverland Pizzeria’s broader philosophy.

“We’ve always liked coming up with new and interesting things, but tradition is also very important for us, and we thought that these two things together suit us,” he said.

However, he added, there is a modern boundary the restaurant will not cross.

“We do a lot of experimentation with our pizzas. But of course, we definitely do not use pineapple,” he said.