Music Cities Awards lead convention as part of Riyadh Music Week

DUBAI: Huda Kattan, the mogul behind Huda Beauty, is breaking new ground with the launch of her “Huda Hotline” podcast.

Launched on Jan. 30, the podcast marks her first major project outside her beauty empire, offering a space for candid discussions about self-worth, beauty standards and personal growth.

Speaking about her motivation, Kattan told Arab News: “I wanted to do this for so long, it’s been a dream of mine for so many years, because I just had so many people from my community asking me to do a podcast, telling me they wanted to see a place where I could share some of my experiences.”

She added that her community has always been deeply connected by a shared passion for development and hard work, something she has learned from statistics and surveys conducted on her META platforms. They revealed a significant percentage of her followers are women striving to start their own businesses.

With “Huda Hotline,” Kattan said she was aiming to give back by being more vulnerable and open about her journey.

“I also have realized that my vulnerability and accepting that I don’t know the answers is something that people also have appreciated from me,” she said.

Initial episodes will explore topics such as entrepreneurship, overcoming fear and redefining traditional beauty standards.

Kattan also talked about the impact her beauty brand has had on diversifying the industry. She said: “I definitely think we were a big part of leading this conversation, and it was difficult at first. It was very, very difficult to be based in the Middle East and trying to break through to the US, break through Europe, and that was extremely, extremely challenging.”

As for the podcast’s future, Kattan envisions she will eventually bring in guests.

“I definitely think there may be some people, but not right away,” she said. She said she was interested in featuring experts in health, self-improvement and biohacking, giving her audience a glimpse into her personal passions beyond beauty.

“I’m so ready for this,” she added. 

RIYADH: The internationally acclaimed sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan will give a virtuoso performance of the stringed instrument at the Cultural Palace, Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh on Feb. 6, 2025.

The Embassy of India, in collaboration with the Diplomatic Quarter Office at the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, is organizing the musical performance of “Three Generations, One Melody,” featuring the renowned Indian sarod quintet led by the acclaimed composer Amjad Ali Khan.

Ambassador of India Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan told Arab News: “The Embassy is honored to co-host the upcoming Sarod quintet concert by the legendary musician Amjad Ali Khan in Riyadh. This unique musical performance being organized for the first time in Saudi Arabia is going to showcase the richness of Indian classical music.”

“The strong interest among Saudi friends toward this concert is a testimony to the popularity of Indian music, arts and cinema in the Kingdom that has only become more profound in recent years,” he said.

A few months ago, Indian artists and cultural troupes performed at the ten-day Indian cultural festival at Suwaidi Park in Riyadh under the Global Harmony Initiative of the Saudi government, he said.

“The event was hugely popular among the Saudi guests. Indian art and music always had a huge fan base in Saudi Arabia, and we are happy to see our Saudi friends showing great interest in attending Indian cultural events. This not only shows the strength of our people-to-people ties, but also the immense potential of cultural exchanges between the two countries.”

Speaking to Arab News from India, Amjad Ali Khan said: “I feel very happy, highly honored, that I got the opportunity to perform in Riyadh, to regale the people of Saudi Arabia. I am grateful to the Indian Embassy in Riyadh who made it possible.

“We are invited to the Western world and get a lot of opportunities to perform. Recently the London Philharmonic Orchestra played my composition. I had a concert at the Royal Festival Hall of London.”

The sarod grand master joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra in a concert that spanned continents and cultures.

“A Saudi orchestra can also play my composition, ‘Samaagam,’ but it needs to be planned,” he said.

“To perform with your children and grandchildren is only possible with the blessing of the Almighty Allah, and the prayers of fans. I am lucky to perform with our three generations in the concert in Riyadh.”

The sarod grand master was born to a family steeped in Indian classical music and is regarded as one of the icons of the music world, bringing a new and yet timeless interpretation to the playing of the sarod.

The sarod is a fretless stringed instrument with a teak frame, a goatskin soundtable and a metal fingerboard, with six to eight strings as well as additional sympathetic strings. The instrument lends itself to improvization and graceful expression because of the ability of the musician to slide and glide between notes, much like a human voice.

His sons, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, are virtuoso performers in their own right, and will accompany the sarod grand master at the concert in Riyadh.