Rahat Fateh Ali Khan steals show in Pak-Saudi Friendship concert

World famous Pakistani maestro Ustaad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan performed live in a concert at the luxurious King Fahd Cultural Complex here and enthralled thousands of his fans with a brilliant performance that transcended sublime heights.

The concert was organized by the Pakistan Embassy under the theme of fostering friendship and called it the”Pak-Saudi Friendship Concert”.

The live concert was attended by Pakistani envoy Vice Admiral (retd) Khan Hasham Bin Saddique, The military commander of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) Gen. (retd) Raheel Sharif, Adviser to Saudi Media Minister Fahim Al-Hamid, Vice President GCA Khalid Al Saqar and prominent dignitaries.

Speaking on the occasion the Pakistani Ambassador Khan Hasham bin Saddique thanked the Saudi government, media and cultural authorities for their support in organizing the event and further strengthening the cultural ties between the two brotherly countries.

He expressed his deep gratitude for Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense for their constant support.

“Pakistan and Saudi Arabia has rich cultural backgrounds and we are looking forward to share and promote our cultural activities,” Khan said,

Saudi Media Adviser Al Hamid expressed his utmost support for the promotion of cultural activities. “We are very much pleased to serve our Pakistani brothers and are ready to provide every support they require for the promotions of cultural events,” Al Hamid said.

Ustaad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was so happy at staging his first performance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that he dedicated his performance to the friendship of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia at the outset of the event. And he set the tempo of the night with a mesmerizing opening, rendering in his opening recital the famous qawwali “Allah Ho” which had the audience swaying to the music and tapping to beat.

He then further went on to enthrall his audience with several of his classical masterpieces that included qawwalis, ghazals, songs and ‘sufiana kalams’ from a wide repertoire that showed his range of music. His jubilant audience took to the floor and danced merrily when he belted out the popular number “Mera Piya Ghar Aaya”, but it was his control over the octaves and ragas that had the audience in a swoon. Rahat touched the hearts of the music lovers with his classical presentation that bordered on the distinctive.

The RFAK concert also witnessed Saudi singer Ahmed Sultan singing Urdu songs and Pakistani singer Saleem Rafique singing Arabic songs respectively to mark the great bond of Pak-Saudi friendship.

Prominent Pakistani anchorperson Dr. Omar Adil hosted the event in his unique style. The concert was well supported by Black Cinema Productions as the media partners, VIP Entertainment events and DJUK that are all led by Pakistan’s CWA Mahmood Latif.

Rahat is the first Pakistani singer to have performed live at the Noble Peace Prize ceremony. He is a famous and globally recognized singer and heir to his uncle, the legendary singer Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.