DOHA, Qatar--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 27, 2026--
On Qatar National Day, during the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025™ Final at Lusail Stadium, Media City Qatar marked a defining cultural moment with the unveiling of ‘Nabd Qatar’ as the centerpiece of its ‘Qatar SoundBeat’ initiative. The premiere took place in the presence of national leadership, government officials, visiting dignitaries from the region, and football fans, uniting spectators from across MENA in a shared moment that celebrated Arab identity, creativity, and cultural expression on one of the region’s most-watched stages.
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First experienced as a live light show inside the stadium, ‘Nabd Qatar’ has since traveled beyond that moment, reaching wider regional and global audiences with more than one million views across social media platforms, and is now available on YouTube, Spotify, and Anghami.
Conceived and composed by regionally acclaimed musician Omar Rahbany, and produced by Rahbani 3.0, one of Media City Qatar’s licensed companies, the work transformed Lusail Stadium into a canvas of sound and light. The song, performed by the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, brings together 68 musicians and the sounds of 30 instruments in a rich orchestral arrangement.
‘Nabd Qatar’ draws inspiration from the nation’s defining sounds, familiar across the GCC, beginning with Ardha sword dance chants written by H.E. Mr. Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali, and extending to the hum of desert dunes, the whisper of wind, the flight of a falcon, the echo of an Arabian horse’s gallop, the flutter of the flag, and the beat of a heart.
The lyrics, drafted by Abdullah Khaled Abdulquddus, are rooted in thousands of public contributions gathered during Media City Qatar’s Guinness World Record-setting ‘Qatar ArtBeat’ campaign for Qatar National Day 2024. The storytelling was extended through an exclusive music video, directed by renowned filmmaker Karim Rahbani, which was released across social media platforms to reach audiences worldwide.
H.E. Sheikh Dr. Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani, Chairman of Media City Qatar, said: “‘Qatar SoundBeat’ turns our nation’s raw sounds into a single piece unveiled on the international stage of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025™ final before more than 88,000 spectators from across the Arab world. Media City Qatar used this moment to send a clear message to the region’s creative community: The future of Arab media is being shaped here. It calls every creator in our region to look to Qatar as a place where new ideas can grow. This is ‘Where Next is Made.’”
Omar Rahbany, composer of ‘Nabd Qatar’ and co-founder of Rahbani 3.0, added: “Media City Qatar entrusted us with creating a musical work that could carry the weight of a nation’s story. Every detail was crafted with intention, from phonetic elements that echo a heartbeat to the collective effort of dozens of technicians across multiple disciplines that brought the composition to life.”
Dr. Nasser Sahim, Deputy Executive Director of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, said: “Performing ‘Nabd Qatar’ was an honor for the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra. A work of this scale demanded precision, unity and deep musical understanding, and our musicians approached it with a thoughtful commitment to excellence in every note.”
Media City Qatar continues to strengthen a media ecosystem in Qatar, now home to more than 300 licensed companies across media, content creation, gaming and innovation.
Source:AETOSWire
Live ‘Qatar SoundBeat’ light show during the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025™ Final at Lusail Stadium (Photo: AETOSWire)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — While the Portland Trail Blazers have emphasized developing young talent in recent years, new owner Tom Dundon says that mindset is shifting toward loftier goals.
“We've tried to get this message through the last couple of days that that was fun, and probably necessary, but it's more fun to win," Dundon said. "It's more fun to do the things that lead to success and hopefully we'll start creating more habits, that those processes lead to the kind of winning that I expect, and I think everybody expects.”
Dundon spoke Thursday along with fellow investors in the “Rip City Rising” ownership group. The NBA Board of Governors on Monday approved the reported $4.25 billion sale of the team by Paul Allen's estate and the new owners took over the team on Tuesday.
The Blazers sit at 39-38 in the Western Conference, a half-game back of the eighth-place Los Angeles Clippers. Having already clinched a play-in spot, if Portland can move into the eighth spot it is an easier one-game shot at advancing to the playoffs.
The new owners group includes Dundon, Portland-based Sheel Tyle, the co-founder of investment firm Collective Global; Marc Zahr, co-president of Blue Owl Capital; the Cherng Family Trust, the investment firm of the co-founders of Panda Express; Stan Middleman of Freedom Mortgage who also owns a stake of the Philadelphia Phillies, and others.
In addition to the Trail Blazers, the acquisition includes the Rip City Remix in the NBA G League and Rip City Management, which operates the Moda Center.
Earlier this month, Dundon sold a portion of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes to three new minority owners, a transaction reportedly worth $332.5 million for 12.5% of the team.
Dundon bought a stake in the Hurricanes in 2017, became the majority owner in 2018 and took sole possession of the club in 2021. He is chairman and managing partner of the Dallas-based firm Dundon Capital Partners.
Dundon said he won't shy from pulling off the big deal, adding Blazers general manager Joe Cronin had a possible deal at the trade deadline that would have made a splash.
“If that opportunity exists, I'm probably more aggressive than most," Dundon said. "If it doesn't exist, then you've got to go about finding the pieces to continue to get better, then decide if you can get good enough to win a championship, or you have to take a step back.”
Portland has built in recent years around a nucleus of young players, including Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan. The team's top scorer is Deni Avdija, in his fifth season.
The sale of the Trail Blazers comes after the Oregon Legislature approved funds for the renovation of the Moda Center in early March. The measure gives the state joint ownership of the 30-year-old arena with the city and provides a mechanism to secure $365 million for the building’s renovation ahead of the women's NCAA Final Four in 2030.
Allen, the Microsoft co-founder who died in 2018, bought the Blazers in 1988 for $70 million. His estate announced last May it had begun the process of selling the team. Allen also owned the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and a minority share of Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders.
Allen stipulated in his will the eventual sale of his teams, with the proceeds to be given to philanthropic endeavors. Allen’s estate announced it began the process of selling the Seahawks in mid-February, about two weeks after the team captured the franchise’s second Super Bowl championship.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin, left, and Sheel Tyle, Blazers alternate governor, center, listen as during a news conference with new owner and governor Tom Dundon, right, on Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Portland Trail Blazers new owner and governor Tom Dundon, left, speaks during a news conference on Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Portland Trail Blazers new owner and governor Tom Dundon, center, speaks as alternate governors Andrew Cherng, right, and Sheel Tyle listen during a news conference on Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Portland Trail Blazers new owner and governor Tom Dundon speaks during a news conference on Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
