World News

Saudis attend country's first jazz festival

音声ダウンロード

Men and women swayed to music at Saudi Arabia's first-ever jazz festival on Feb. 23, the second of a three-day outdoor event that showcases the kingdom's recent efforts to shed its conservative image.

"This festival shows that the leadership here wants to let the people open up, to see more things, more cultures," said Salem al-Ahmed, who attended with friends.

The country will stage more than 5,000 shows, festivals and concerts in 2018, double the number of last year. It will also open its first cinema in March after a more than 35-year ban. (Reuters, AP)

サウジ、初のジャズフェス開催

保守的なイメージを払拭し、文化や娯楽の活性化を図っているサウジアラビアで、同国初のジャズフェスティバルが開催された。3月から映画館の新設も認められる。

The Japan Times ST: March 9, 2018