Iyad Rimawi to Perform at the Dubai Opera

A poster for Iyad Rimawi's concert
A poster for Iyad Rimawi's concert
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Iyad Rimawi to Perform at the Dubai Opera

A poster for Iyad Rimawi's concert
A poster for Iyad Rimawi's concert

The Syrian music composer Iyad Rimawi is preparing to perform on February 11 and 12 at the Dubai Opera at a concert dubbed "Love Letters from Damascus."

Seen as one of the most talented Arab composers alive today, Rimawi’s melodic and emotional scores are a unique fusion of oriental and classical music.

After performing to a sold-out crowd in 2018, Rimawi comes back to Dubai to perform new music, such as Alharamlek and Masafit Aman, on stage for the first time, as well as some of his famous works, like Al Nadam, Alam Homra, and The Godfather.

Expressing his excitement about performing in Dubai again, Rimawi said: “Being in Dubai, today, especially to perform at the Opera House alongside the renowned international act, is a step forward for my large project aimed at performing at the world’s largest theaters and introducing my music.”

The concert’s executive producer Salah Mansour, for his part, says the artist came back after the great success of his show at the World Trade Center to place this project side by side with the world’s most prominent musicians at the prestigious house Dubai Opera.



Japan's Imperial Family to Start YouTube Account

People ride on the boat near the blooming cherry blossoms at Inokashira Park in Tokyo on March 27, 2025. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)
People ride on the boat near the blooming cherry blossoms at Inokashira Park in Tokyo on March 27, 2025. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)
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Japan's Imperial Family to Start YouTube Account

People ride on the boat near the blooming cherry blossoms at Inokashira Park in Tokyo on March 27, 2025. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)
People ride on the boat near the blooming cherry blossoms at Inokashira Park in Tokyo on March 27, 2025. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)

Japan's ancient imperial family will launch a YouTube account next week, the government said Friday, in the latest attempt at public outreach by the tradition-bound monarchy.
Last year the royals made their social media debut with an Instagram account which now has nearly two million followers.
Its posts show Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their family meeting foreign dignitaries, visiting victims of natural disasters or checking out prized art exhibits.
From Tuesday the family will also publish videos on YouTube, a spokesman at the Imperial Household Agency told AFP.
Naruhito, 65, ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019 after his father became the first emperor to abdicate in over two centuries.
The monarchy holds no political power under Japan's post-war constitution, instead acting as symbolic figureheads.
Although the family remain deeply adored and respected, especially among older citizens, they also face huge pressure to meet exacting standards of behavior and have sometimes become the target of online vitriol.
The emperor's brother Prince Akishino said last year that his family had been targeted by "bullying-like" messages.
When his daughter Mako married her college sweetheart in 2021, reports appeared in Japanese media about money troubles faced by his mother, a scandal seen as damaging to the royal family.
The couple opted not to have a public wedding ceremony and left Japan to live in the United States.