Egypt Wins First, Third Places in Middle East’s Biggest Oud Exhibition in Riyadh

On Tuesday, Egypt won the second and third places in the biggest oud-related music event of its kind in the Middle East, taking place in the Music section at Riyadh Boulevard.

In a tweet, Turki Al-Sheikh, the head of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), published the names of the winners in the three-day oud competition called “King of Oud", which saw a fierce competition between 10 participants from different Middle Eastern countries, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

The King of the Oud title was claimed by Islam Taha from Egypt, while the second place was won by Rakan Al Saed. Another Egyptian young man named Nagi Mohamed won third place in the competition.

In a video, the GEA head explained that the competition is a wonderful chance for every oud player to participate from around the globe to will the title of “King of Oud,” and that participants can apply by sharing a video of themselves playing the instrument to: [email protected]

Al-Sheikh tweeted “Waiting for all talented oud players from around the Arab world and the globe.”

According to the GEA, the competition is aimed at embracing and reviving musical heritage among the Saudi community through the medium of the instrument and traditional music.