AlUla – Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Alicia Keys on Friday performed her first concert in Saudi Arabia, wearing an ensemble by Dubai-based Saudi label Abadia.
The superstar donned two outfits for her concert, singing for a packed house at the Maraya concert hall in AlUla.
Her first look was a two-piece white set, while her second was a mustard-yellow belted jumpsuit with a flowing and colorful floor-length waist cape.
During the concert, Keys paid tribute to the Saudi designer’s creation. “I had to make sure that I put on a second Abadia outfit. Abadia, as you know, is a local magnificent designer, and it’s her birthday today,” the music sensation told her thrilled audience.
The family-owned brand, co-founded by Shahd Al-Shehail and her aunt Naeema Al-Shehail, aims to empower and support Saudi female artisans by integrating traditional crafts such as sadu (a weaving technique) and naqda (a technique of pulling thin metallic threads through cloth) in their designs.
During the concert, Keys performed some of her hits “Unthinkable,” “New York,” “No One,” Nat King Cole’s “Unlocked,” “Blown Away,” and many more.
“Thank you AlUla,” the singer told her fans in Arabic at the end of the concert. “This has been a beautiful, beautiful night,” she continued in English.
The AlUla concert was presented by Good Intentions, a newly launched Saudi-based creative consultancy co-founded by Kasseem “Swizz Beats” Dean, who is the singer’s husband and co-produced her latest album, “Keys.”
