RIYADH — In a unique initiative to enhance the legacy of Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Culture has announced the launch of the Saudi Coffee Symphony competition.

The ministry has called on music enthusiasts from the Arab world, professional musicians or workers in the field, as well as those who are interested in technology-based recreational activities, to participate in the competition, whose cash prizes amount to a total of SR150,000.

The ministry’s initiative came to motivate the musicians to create innovative music tracks, by merging between the musical instruments and the sound of making coffee.

The idea for the unique competition came from the many stages that Saudi coffee preparation goes through, which begin from roasting and stirring the beans over the mehmas, grinding the coffee using the najr in musical melodies known as tathleethah, tarbee'ah, or takhmeesah, and all the way to pouring the coffee into the fenjan," according to the clarifications published on the Ministry of Culture’s website.

"Whenever the Saudi coffee is being made, these familiar melodies come chasing after the ears, like a common chant known to every Saudi house, announcing that it's time to gather around coffee. Such tunes are associated in memory with the Saudi generosity and hospitality," the ministry said.

The ministry has called on the musicians wishing to participate in the competition to visit the following link: engage.moc.gov.sa/yosc_music

November 15 would be the last date for applying for the competition, the ministry said, adding that after the application period, the process of sorting the participations will begin, and it will last until November 30.

The Ministry will announce the winners on Thursday, December 29. The first place winner will receive SR100,000, and the second place winner will receive SR50,000.

The Saudi Coffee Symphony competition comes as part of the activities of the "Year of Saudi Coffee" initiative, which is supported by the Quality of Life Program, one of the programs of the Kingdom's Vision 2030.

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