‘Passage of Light’ Named as Winning Composition for AlUla’s Musical Road

Pictured at the AlUla Music Competition winner announcement ceremony in AlUla are Ghida Knio, runner-up; Maestro Hany Farahat, Chair of the Judging Panel; Dr. Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani, Vice President of Culture at the Royal Commission for AlUla; Abeer Balubaid, winner of the AlUla Music Competition; and Hamad Alhomiedan, Arts and Creative Industries Director at the Royal Commission for AlUla.

To listen to the winning composition, please visit: https://youtu.be/tLkeTXPvrrA

Ain Alalam – Rashad Iskandrni

 Arts AlUla and the AlUla Music Hub have announced Abeer Balubaid as the winner of the AlUla Music Competition. The announcement was made during an official ceremony held in AlUla, where the winning composition will be integrated into AlUla’s Musical Road experience.  AlUla’s Musical Road joins a global network of musical roads. It will be located in one of the main arrival points in AlUla, the music becoming synonymous with the ancient Oasis. The winner Abeer Balubaid is a 36 year old Saudi national. She started her musical journey at a young age as a self-taught musician continuing her education in music, leading to her joining the Saudi National Orchestra in 2023.

The announcement marks the culmination of a competitive journey that began with an open call to Saudi citizens and residents to compose original music inspired by the spirit, identity and natural landscape of AlUla. Following a thorough review of all composition by the judging panel, two finalists were shortlisted before the winning composition was selected.

The judging panel comprised of four of the region’s most distinguished voices in music, culture and the arts. Chaired by Maestro Hany Farahat, one of the most prominent conductors and musical figures in the Arab world, the judges included composer Mamdouh Saif, Dr. Ines Abdeldayem, former Egyptian Minister of Culture, and musician Hesham Nazih. Their combined expertise spans composition, performance, cultural policy and artistic direction, making the panel uniquely qualified to assess entries on both artistic and experiential merit.

The panel evaluated the finalists against criteria including originality, innovation, emotional impact and connection to AlUla’s identity, alongside the suitability of each composition for integration within ’AlUla’s Musical Road’. Guided by the panel and further developed in a studio with the Maestro, the winner’s original piece was fully realised and unveiled for the first time during the winner’s award ceremony at Design Space AlUla.

The initiative draws on AlUla’s rich cultural landscape, which has been shaped by human civilisations across the ages, from ancient inscriptions to human storytelling, craft and contemporary artistic practice. ‘AlUla’s Musical Road’ extends this narrative, adding a new dimension to the visitor experience and transforming the moment of arrival into a unique introduction to AlUla.  Located at the entrance to AlUla, near the airport, the road will be activated through precisely engineered undulations in the road surface, which interact with a vehicle’s vibrations at a set speed to produce musical notes audible inside the car as it passes.

Commenting on the initiative, Hamad Alhomiedan, Arts and Creative Industries Director at the Royal Commission for AlUla, said: “We launched the AlUla Music Competition as part of Arts AlUla and the AlUla Music Hub’s commitment to nurturing creativity and creating opportunities for emerging talent.

This initiative reflects our commitment to support the creative community, fostering artistic expression, and providing opportunities that enable Saudi artists to develop their work and reach new horizons.

The competition attracted 150 submissions, inspired by AlUla’s landscape, unique heritage, and cultural identity. The compositions reflected an exceptional level of creativity, they showcased the wealth of promising musical talent across Saudi Arabia.”

Ghida Knio, the competition runner-up, was recognised for her significant talent and potential with a Certificate of Excellence.

The AlUla Music Competition, in partnership with Arts AlUla and the AlUla Music Hub, continues to build a musical ecosystem connecting Saudi creatives with the global cultural scene.

Judging Panel: Maestro Hany Farahat, Mamdouh Saif, Dr. Ines Abdeldayem, Hesham Nazih.

About AlUla:

Located 1,100 km from Riyadh in north-west Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. Spanning 22,561 km², it features a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains, and ancient cultural sites dating back thousands of years to the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms. Its most recognised site is Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Covering 52 hectares, it was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and features over 140 well-preserved tombs, many with intricate facades carved into the surrounding sandstone. Research also suggests Hegra marked the southernmost outpost of the Roman Empire following the Roman conquest in 106 CE.

AlUla is also home to the ancient city of Dadan, capital of the Dadan and Lihyan kingdoms and one of the most developed cities of the first millennium BCE in the Arabian Peninsula, as well as Jabal Ikmah, an open-air library of inscriptions in multiple languages, recently listed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

AlUla Old Town, a labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes dating back to at least the 12th century, was named one of the World’s Best Tourism Villages in 2022 by UNWTO.

For more information, please visit: www.experiencealula.com

AlUla Music Hub:

AlUla Music Hub, established by the Royal Commission for AlUla and based in AlJadidah Arts District, is a dedicated platform shaping the future of music in AlUla.

Rooted in AlUla’s unique cultural landscape, it supports the development of Saudi musical talent through education, collaboration, and live experiences, while fostering connections between local creatives and the wider global music scene.

Through its programmes and initiatives, the Music Hub contributes to building a dynamic and sustainable music ecosystem, positioning AlUla as a growing centre for musical expression and cultural exchange in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

For more information, please visit: https://www.livingmuseum.com/en/arts/alula-music-hub

Arts AlUla:

Arts AlUla is the Royal Commission for AlUla’s arts and culture programme, dedicated to shaping AlUla as a global destination for art, design, and cultural exchange. Rooted in AlUla’s unique heritage and landscape, its programmes bring together leading international artists, cultural institutions, and emerging Saudi talent through exhibitions, commissions, residencies, and public art initiatives, including Desert X AlUla. Through a growing portfolio of initiatives and platforms, Arts AlUla fosters creative expression and contributes to a dynamic and sustainable cultural ecosystem in AlUla.

For more information, please visit: www.experiencealula.com