RIYADH: A local entrepreneur has come up with the bright idea of providing an online store for the increasingly popular work of artists showcasing Saudi culture.
With many Saudis proudly wearing or displaying culturally embedded prints and logos on clothing, cellphone covers, bags and wall art, Bahaa Gazzaz, the owner of the website Spark, saw an opportunity to market and sell these artistic creations.
Spark is a smart web application that transforms artists' creative expressions into custom-made products. It's a marketplace for trailblazers as well as a monetization portal for designers, photographers, and creatives. (Supplied)
Spark is a smart web application that transforms artists’ creative expressions into custom-made products. It’s a marketplace for trailblazers and a monetization portal for designers, photographers, and creatives, she said.
“It came about in 2013 during a business trip I took to China. Let’s just say, I got sparked. Three years down the line, with many trials and errors, Spark made its debut in 2016,” Gazzaz told Arab News.
• With many Saudis proudly wearing or displaying culturally embedded prints and logos on clothing, cellphone covers, bags and wall art, Bahaa Gazzaz, the owner of the website Spark, saw an opportunity to market and sell these artistic creations.
• Spark is a smart web application that transforms artists’ creative expressions into custom-made products. It’s a marketplace for trailblazers and a monetization portal for designers, photographers, and creatives.
Many talented designers are benefiting financially from their designs without the worry of printing, shipping and other logistics because Spark does the job for them.
All of Spark’s products are custom-made and printed on demand in Saudi Arabia. (Supplied)
“Local designers are benefiting financially from Spark by enabling them to monetize their skills as … artist(s). Understanding how their creative expressions can relate to customers, thus makes a sale.” The site has over 50,000 registered users including artists from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the world, Gazzaz said.
She said the launch of Spark was the hardest part of getting the business off the ground.
“As a business owner, you have to understand that your brand is up for a ride of constant change cultivated by your customers and fueled by your passion. And it starts when you hit the launch button. It will always linger in your head if your product/brand can be better? The answer is always going to be ‘yes.’ Don’t let that stop you, and just roll the ball.”
Spark is a smart web application that transforms artists' creative expressions into custom-made products. It's a marketplace for trailblazers as well as a monetization portal for designers, photographers, and creatives. (Supplied)
All of Spark’s products are custom-made and printed on demand in the Kingdom. Customers buy products they can relate to, and they often return to make more purchases, she said.
She said an entrepreneur has to encounter and overcome setbacks; and encouraged artists to use her business to showcase their work. “Let the customers decide.”
For more information, visit her website at https://sparknow.com/
JEDDAH: Thursday night witnessed Japanese band ALI’s first concert in Saudi Arabia.
Taking place at City Walk’s Anime Village, ALI, which has members of several nationalities, hyped the audience with its unique hip-hop-funk music, playing tracks including “No Tomorrow,” “Lost in Paradise” and “Wild Side.”
An 18-year-old fan called Meciel said that she got to know ALI through anime. “I watch a lot of animes and I always check out the songs because I really like them. And I found out about ALI’s music through ‘Jujutsu Kaisen.’”
Meciel added that once she came across the announcement that ALI would perform in Jeddah, she prepared for the concert. “I first told my friends and booked the tickets two hours after the announcement was made,” she added. “We prepared our outfits, water and cameras, of course.”
• ALI’s most famous song among anime fans is ‘Lost in Paradise’ from the 2020 hit anime ‘Jujutsu Kaisen,’ a show about a boy trying to experience a righteous death after swallowing a powerful curse.
• Besides singing their original songs, ALI also performed some freestyle music, with Leo pointing to each of the members to show off their talents. They also performed Jamaican music to match the summer vibes of Jeddah.
“This is my first time attending a concert for someone I actually know,” Meciel said. “I really enjoyed it! This is my first time, and it was really fun. I can’t hear anything right now, but I’m with my friend and it was really great.”
After performing a few songs, the band took a break to interact with the audience. The main vocalist, Leo, delivered a speech in Arabic. “I want to tell you our message in Arabic,” said Leo, adding: “I want to tell you my feelings and truth from the bottom of my heart.
“I am happy for visiting Saudi Arabia and meeting wonderful and kind people with beautiful souls,” he said. “We came from Japan and our message is pretty simple: Nationality, skin color and type of music all don’t matter as long as we only focus on enjoying our time here together. We love you. Respect.”
ALI’s most famous song among anime fans is “Lost in Paradise” from the 2020 hit anime “Jujutsu Kaisen,” a show about a boy trying to experience a righteous death after swallowing a powerful curse.
I am happy for visiting Saudi Arabia and meeting wonderful and kind people with beautiful souls.
“Like a lot of people, I knew them from the song they made for ‘Jujutsu Kaisen,’ and my friend showed me more of their songs later. And they are really a good band,” said 18-year-old Sheena. “This is my first concert ever! It was really fun!”
Besides singing their original songs, ALI also performed some freestyle music, with Leo pointing to each of the members to show off their talents. They also performed Jamaican music to match the summer vibes of Jeddah.
“I feel great! I can’t quite express how I feel after seeing them, but I think I was about to pass out from excitement and I was very happy that my heart was beating so fast,” said Tasneem Banjar, 26. “I actually played their songs on repeat the day before as a way of preparation for the concert. And if they are coming next year, I’ll be the first to attend.”
ALI, which stands for “Alien Liberty International,” debuted in 2016.
After being formed, the band was composed of nine multinational members, including Brazilian Japanese and American Japanese performers. But over the years, some members left, while Leo Imamura, Luthfi Kusumah, Cesar Aiichiro and Alexander Taiyo Fidel remained in the band.
Those four members performed in Jeddah along with two new members, Kazou and Imani J. The band ended their performance with a bow to the fans.
JEDDAH: Jeddah Season has revived the sales of home-based businesses, owners of small and medium-sized enterprises, and young entrepreneurs and innovators participating in the event.
More than 4 million people have visited the event since it launched in early May, and the Saturday Market in the Jeddah Art Promenade area has created an environment for investment and commercial activity, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The annual Jeddah Season festival aims to highlight the city’s rich heritage and culture through a total of 2,800 activities in nine zones over the event period.
Shopping enthusiasts have shown great interest in the exhibits on display, adding an enjoyable atmosphere to the area alongside the other activities on offer.
The exhibits include accessories, gifts, clothes, household supplies, food, entertainment, and drawings.
Jeddah Season has offered talented people a chance to market their products and a window to develop their skills.
It has also created a spirit of competition, opportunities for seasonal work, and provided investment opportunities for different sections of society.
RIYADH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made a phone call on Saturday to King Mohammed VI of Morocco, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
During the call, the crown prince asked about the health of the king, wishing him continued health and wellness, and was assured of the Moroccan leader's health.
King Mohammed expressed his thanks to the crown prince for his good wishes and brotherly feeling, SPA reported.
The king tested positive for COVID-19 but exhibited no symptoms, his doctor said on Thursday.
He was on sick leave following the diagnosis, his doctor Lahcen Belyamani said in a statement carried by state media.
JEDDAH: World-renowned Canadian magician and illusionist Darcy Oake took Jeddah by storm on Friday with a magical extravaganza, an evening of breathtaking, logic-bending illusions delivered with a modern twist.
The master magician will continue to thrill audiences with a blend of stunning illusions, mind reading and interaction until June 26 at the Global Theatre in City Walk.
“What makes this show different from any of the previous shows is that there is a dangerous aspect, in addition to a new piece where the magic happens to everyone in the audience at the same time,” Oake said.
“There will be a treasure trove of tricks that have never been seen before.”
Utilizing the audience within the show and catching their reactions will be different. We get the reactions of the audience that isn’t familiar with the craft and weave that in the show, creating an amazing response.
Earlier, the magician performed in Riyadh in an ensemble show featuring world-class performers. But for Jeddah Season, he will deliver an expanded, full-evening solo show.
Asked what his fans can expect, the performer said that he plans to stay true to his modern approach and a put a spin on classic illusions.
Oakes told Arab News: “I try to find inspiration everywhere. There is no exact process. But most of the time, I try to figure out by considering myself as an audience and questioning what would I love watching. I try to think back and look at the possibility of working on the tricks that I think can be cool.”
Magic tricks can take two to three years and many rehearsals to perfect.
Although the show’s structure remains the same, it can alter when it comes to audience participation.
“Utilizing the audience within the show and catching their reactions will be different. We get the reactions of the audience that isn’t familiar with the craft and weave that in the show, creating an amazing response,” Oake said.
According to the organizers, tickets for the 10 days are selling out fast.
DUBAI: Shortly before nightfall on Tuesday, a group of Saudis rescued two Ukrainian tourists from a near-death experience in Jazan. After being enticed by the beauty of a 12-meter deep valley in Wadi Lajab, the tourists went swimming, but were soon trapped. A video showing the gallant rescue has gone viral, with thousands of Internet users praising the chivalry of the Saudi group. The video was posted on Twitter by one of the founders of Fazaa Search and Rescue Team, Faisal Al-Rithi. Speaking to Arab News, Al-Rithi said that parts of the wadi tend to be “deceivingly dangerous” as it reaches 30 meters high. “One of the Ukrainians, who speaks broken Arabic, alerted our rescue volunteers constantly stationed around dangerous spots. He notified us that his countryman got stuck,” said Al-Rithi. The rescuers then took him to help identify and save his friend. Al-Rithi said that rescuers risked their lives to save the Ukrainian duo. He added that the team often faces “perilous incidents” and that it can take up to 20 minutes to save people who are trapped. “It was nearly nightfall and the spot where those two men got stuck was too dark. The first guy swam toward our volunteers and alerted us about the second guy. Thirty men armed with ropes and rescue equipment went to the spot not knowing if the second guy was drowning or only stuck, as he didn’t know how to swim,” Al-Rithi told Arab News. The difficult rescue operation lasted about one hour. “He (the second man) was afraid and trembling but he became happy and thanked us a lot after saving him,” Al-Rithi said. He tweeted: “When humanity is to sacrifice yourself for others. Those are the youth of our homeland, the sacrificial youth. They rescued two Ukrainians who were stuck in Wadi Lajab … infinite thanks to them all.” Wadi Lajab has been described by tourists as “heaven in the desert.” Arab News revealed earlier that the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, together with the Jazan Tourism Development Council, had approved the valley as a tourist site where visitors can practice rock climbing. The site is situated between two high rocky cliff faces covered by green blankets of creepers and thick moss, resembling a hanging garden. The coolness of its year-round flowing water is ensured by the 800-meter high cliff faces, which protect the area from direct sunlight.