RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has asked Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer to work on a new version of its national anthem, according to a senior official, as Riyadh steps up an image makeover.

Zimmer, whose film scores include 1994’s The Lion King, Dune and the Dark Knight trilogy, has agreed to the “broad outlines” of the project, General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh said.

“We discussed a lot about many future projects that I hope will see the light of day soon... including rearranging the Saudi national anthem with different instruments,” Alalshikh, the master behind several Saudi initiatives, posted on X.

Germany’s Hans Zimmer also discussed a Saudi-inspired musical called Arabia, a “very large concert”, and the soundtrack for The Battle of Yarmuk, a forthcoming Saudi film, Alalshikh said.

The Saudi anthem, Aash Al Malik ( Long live the King), was written in 1947 by Egyptian composer Abdul Rahman Al Khateeb, at the request of founding monarch King Abdulaziz. The current version is in the “Arab fanfare” style common in the region in that era.

Saudi Arabia is pursuing an ambitious revamp as it tries to diversify its economy away from crude.

After reopening cinemas, allowing women to drive and admitting the first non-Muslim tourists in 2018, the makeover has gone into overdrive with a slew of mega-projects, including resorts and NEOM, a futuristic city in the desert costing $500 billion.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2025

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