Red Sea Global, Warner Bros. Discovery Collaborate on Red Sea Coral Reefs Documentary

The film follows the journey of Saudi Arabian free diver Salma Shaker as she explores the coral research conducted by scientists at Red Sea Global and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). (Discovery)
The film follows the journey of Saudi Arabian free diver Salma Shaker as she explores the coral research conducted by scientists at Red Sea Global and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). (Discovery)
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Red Sea Global, Warner Bros. Discovery Collaborate on Red Sea Coral Reefs Documentary

The film follows the journey of Saudi Arabian free diver Salma Shaker as she explores the coral research conducted by scientists at Red Sea Global and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). (Discovery)
The film follows the journey of Saudi Arabian free diver Salma Shaker as she explores the coral research conducted by scientists at Red Sea Global and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). (Discovery)

Red Sea Global (RSG) and global media and entertainment company Warner Bros. Discovery will collaborate to produce a documentary on the impact of climate change on coral reefs, said RSC in a statement on Tuesday.

The documentary, "Beneath the Surface: The Fight for Corals", set to air on Discovery channel on Earth Day on April 22 will show RSG's efforts to protect the environment.

“In ‘Beneath the Surface: The Fight for Corals’, we aim to spotlight the beauty and vulnerability of these underwater wonders and emphasize the importance of global collaboration in preserving our oceans," said John Pagano, Group CEO at Red Sea Global.

The film follows the journey of Saudi Arabian free diver Salma Shaker as she explores the coral research conducted by scientists at Red Sea Global and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).

The film transcends geographical borders, taking viewers as far as to the reefs in Mexico, offering a compelling narrative on the challenges facing coral reefs worldwide.

The film explores undiscovered reefs along Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coastline.

Red Sea Global aims to unravel the mysteries of this unexplored territory, displaying its unique biodiversity and crucial role in supporting the global ecosystem. The documentary also delves into the potential benefits of coral research in the Red Sea for ecosystems globally.

Kerrie McEvoy, head of Factual Channels in Discovery Networks EMEA at Warner Bros Discovery, said: "Warner Bros. Discovery is proud to partner with Red Sea Global on 'Beneath the Surface: The Fight for Corals'. As a company, we believe in the power of storytelling to entertain and inspire change, and this film exemplifies that commitment."

The film features insights from a diverse group of experts to provide a comprehensive view of the current state of reefs globally, their significance in the marine ecosystem, and the ongoing efforts to protect them.

A first exclusive look at the film was shown during a side event at COP28 in Dubai, hosted by Red Sea Global, where a trailer was played for the guests.

The documentary will air on Discovery Channel across the US, Europe, Türkiye, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.



UK Blues Legend John Mayall Dead at 90 

English blues singer John Mayall performs with his band The Bluesbreakers, on the stage of the Miles Davis hall during the 42nd Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland, late Monday, July 7, 2008. (AP)
English blues singer John Mayall performs with his band The Bluesbreakers, on the stage of the Miles Davis hall during the 42nd Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland, late Monday, July 7, 2008. (AP)
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UK Blues Legend John Mayall Dead at 90 

English blues singer John Mayall performs with his band The Bluesbreakers, on the stage of the Miles Davis hall during the 42nd Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland, late Monday, July 7, 2008. (AP)
English blues singer John Mayall performs with his band The Bluesbreakers, on the stage of the Miles Davis hall during the 42nd Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland, late Monday, July 7, 2008. (AP)

John Mayall, the British blues pioneer whose 1960s music collective the Bluesbreakers helped usher in a fertile period of rock and brought guitarists like Eric Clapton to prominence, has died at 90, his family said Tuesday.

Mayall, a singer and multi-instrumentalist who was dubbed "the godfather of British blues," and whose open-door arrangement saw some of the greats in the genre hone their craft with him and his band, "passed away peacefully in his California home" on Monday, according to a statement posted on his Facebook page.

It did not state a cause of death.

"Health issues that forced John to end his epic touring career have finally led to peace for one of this world's greatest road warriors," it said. "John Mayall gave us 90 years of tireless efforts to educate, inspire and entertain."

Mayall's influence on 1960s rock and beyond is enormous. Members of the Bluesbreakers eventually went on to join or form groups including Cream, Fleetwood Mac, the Rolling Stones and many more.

At age 30, Mayall moved to London from northern England in 1963. Sensing revolution in the air, he gave up his profession as a graphic designer to embrace a career in blues, the musical style born in Black America.

He teamed up with a series of young guitarists including Clapton, Peter Green, later of Fleetwood Mac, and Mick Taylor who helped form the Rolling Stones.

In the Bluesbreakers' debut album in 1966, "Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton," John Mayall enthralled music aficionados with a melding of soulful rock and gutsy, guitar-driven American blues featuring covers of tunes by Robert Johnson, Otis Rush and Ray Charles.

The blues music he was playing in British venues was "a novelty for white England," he told AFP in 1997.

That album was a hit, catapulting Clapton to stardom and bringing a wave of popularity to a more raw and personal blues music.

Mayall moved to California in 1968 and toured America extensively in 1972.

He recorded a number of landmark albums in the 1960s including "Crusade," "A Hard Road," and "Blues From Laurel Canyon." Dozens more followed in the 1970s and up to his latest, "The Sun Is Shining Down," in 2022.

Mayall was awarded an OBE, an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, in 2005.