Arab talent shows have been on a roll of late with such programmes as The Voice, Arab Idol and The X Factor Arabia commanding huge audiences with their mix of appealing stars with inspiring backstories.
While Arab audiences embraced nearly all of the contestants, Arabs Got Talent has a special place for Gulf audiences due to locals reaching the finals in last year's season.
Emiratis welcomed the eventual winners, the Saudi illusionist group Khawater Al Thalam, but the performer on locals' lips was Shamma Hamdan, who excited the region with her mix of Khaleeji balladry and western rock influences.
The Dubai singer has since gone on to perform in concerts across the Middle East, with her next big engagement headlining Beats on the Beach on Abu Dhabi's Corniche in November.
Such developments make the Lebanese superstar Najwa Karam proud.
The Arabs Got Talent judge and music diva explains the programme is about giving people chances in a fiercely competitive industry.
"The show is all about working hard," she explains. "As you see throughout the programme, the contestants eventually realise what it takes to make it in the industry. It is about having that dream and really giving it your best. The experience pays off in the end as they end up working hard and following that dream after the show."
Arabs Got Talent has also been a revelation when it came to the programme's judging panel.
Those who initially dismissed the idea of Nasser Al Qasabi joining the programme as a judge last year would have been surprised by his insights throughout the past two seasons.
The Saudi comic's advice to Khawater Al Thalam on timing and stage presence was instrumental in the group taking out the competition.
Karam's often feisty demeanour in Middle Eastern tabloids found a more accommodating home within the programme. Her direct remarks to Hamdan throughout the series - including the memorable instruction to "make sure you open your mouth more when you are singing" - are always laced with almost motherly affection.
"I do feel the show did help some of us in the judging panel," Karam states. "I always care about my fellow performers because I understand it's not always easy to get on that stage and give it your best all the time. I wanted the audience to know that. I think what Arabs Got Talent did for me was that it showed the fact that I am emotional, I do care about people and that I am a really sociable person. I think it brought me even closer to the people."
With more than 50 million albums sold throughout a near 30-year career, the 47-year-old Karam transcended the Arab music scene to become a world music icon despite maintaining a classic Arabic pop feel throughout her 20 official albums.
She is proud of the fact she didn't succumb to the current musical style of singing in different Arabic accents to maximise her popularity.
In terms of attempting a Khaleeji dialect for a future release, Karam is dismissive. "Why would people accept me singing a song with a bad accent?" she asks.
"A lawyer cannot be an architect, they have to know the details of their respective jobs.
"I am Lebanese and I know the language and its techniques intimately. If I sing in any other accent, you just won't believe me."
That said, Karam doesn't have a problem with collaborating with young and up-and-coming artists from different genres if the chemistry is right.
"I am open to the idea if I feel there is some artistic affinity between me and someone from this new generation of artists," she says. "But I do feel these artists have to come to us as opposed to us coming to them."
. Arabs Got Talent is shown on MBC4 and MBC Masr at 10pm on Saturday. For details, go to www.mbc.net
Last year's winners, Khawater Al Thalam
Their goal might be to headline in Las Vegas, but last year's winners Khawater Al Thalam are obeying the age-old rule of show business: take over your neighbourhood before going global. The Saudi illusionist group have now expanded to include up to 27 members with various acrobatic talents. They have been busy playing locally, with shows in Jeddah and Medina, in addition to performing at humanitarian events in both Saudi Arabia and Qatar. A regional tour was recently held, with the UAE getting a taste of the magic back in August when the group headlined Ferrari World Abu Dhabi as part of its Eid celebrations.
Meet the new judge, Ahmed Helmi
Adding some exuberance to the judging panel is the Egyptian comedian and actor Ahmed Helmi. Known for his off-the-cuff performances in the comedies Aboud Ala Al Hodoud, Omar 2000 and Al Nazer, the 42-year-old hit pay dirt in the 2007 smash hit Keda Reda, a romantic comedy in which he played three different characters. It will be interesting to see whether Helmi's appearance on the show will reveal a more thoughtful personality or whether he will inject some of his screwball humour into the sometimes weary judging panel.
sasaeed@thenational.ae
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Brief scores:
Manchester United 4
Young 13', Mata 28', Lukaku 42', Rashford 82'
Fulham 1
Kamara 67' (pen),
Red card: Anguissa (68')
Man of the match: Juan Mata (Man Utd)
U19 World Cup in South Africa
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 285bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: TBA
On sale: Q2, 2020
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
