Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Riyadh Season, which caught the imagination of the youth and the world, would see an imaginative finale to the three-month season in the capital on Thursday. Over 60,000 attendees are expected to witness the final event — Leila the Land of Imagination, which looks to capture the new Saudi vibrancy at King Fahd stadium on Jan.16, 2019. A ten-year-old lead character Leila, which means daughter of the night, will take center stage symbolizing the new generation of Saudis who are living the change. Creative Director of the show Angela Alò told Saudi Gazette the role of Leila will be played by the young girl Nora Al Obaid. "We have started rehearsing 10 months ago since March 2019, and Leila is the symbol of new Saudi generations who live in a changing reality," she added. "The concept of the show could be summarized in a single sentence: the lines of the land and the lines of the hand are the same. The future, which is just around the corner, is in the hands of Leila, but to know it, she only needs to give free rein to her imagination," Anghela said. "The General Entertainment Authority's (GEA) support has been essential for us to create the show," Marco Balich, chairman Balich Worldwide Shows said. "We are very proud of being confirmed GEA strategic partner after our previous experience together on the occasion of the 89th National Day." "We are really proud to be able to showcase the beauty and the richness of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; we strongly believe that merging international expertise with national talents, we can create unique shows that will leave unforgettable memories and a long-lasting legacy. "This is an incredible time for Saudis and we are honored to be here, in a joint journey towards Vision 2030," Balich said. Balich told Saudi Gazette that 361 local performers participated in the show. "There are 293 crew members in total including 85 locals; 488 performers in total including 248 traditional local dancers and 113 local performers," Balich said. "The numbers and key achievements witnessed during Riyadh Season is only fitting to have a grand finale event that is a celebration bringing together the Riyadh Season visitors and teams everyone who was involved," Faisal Bafarat, CEO of the General Entertainment Authority stated. "All that within a unique celebration a spectacular show that takes the audience on the journey as the land of imagination unfolds to discover that the future is in her hands ... Leila the Land of Imagination," Bafarat said. Leila the Land of Imagination is the grand finale event for Riyadh Season and will be held at the King Fahd International Stadium on Thursday Jan. 16. Over 488 performers will be taking part in the performance that was written by 293 people representing 41 nationalities including Saudi Arabia.
