Turki al-Sheikh met with German composer Hans Zimmer during the Joy Award, held in Riyadh [Credit: X]
World-renowned German composer Hans Zimmer could be composing the score of an upcoming Saudi Arabian production on the historical Battle of Yarmouk, as well as a re-interpretation of the country’s national anthem.
The Oscar-winning musician met with Saudi royal court advisor and entertainment chairman Turki al-Sheikh in Riyadh on the sidelines of the Joy Awards, which took place in the Gulf Kingdom over the weekend.
Al-Sheikh reportedly discussed a number of “future projects” with Zimmer, who has composed the score for hit Disney films such as the Lion King, as well as Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy and most recently, Dune.
“Today I met someone who is considered one of the greatest musicians of our time,” Al-Sheikh wrote on X on Monday.
‘We discussed a lot about many future projects that I hope will see the light of day soon, including redistributing the Saudi national anthem with different instruments.”
“I also presented [Zimmer the latest] on the Battle of Yarmouk film, and the possibility of him participating in composing the soundtrack to it,” he added.
Al-Sheikh also said  that he is seeking to recruit Zimmer to participate in the score of a musical project based on the country titled “Arabia”.
“We agreed on the broad outlines of all these projects, and I hope we will reach a final agreement on them,” Al-Sheikh said.
The entertainment minister also said Zimmer had expressed “admiration for the country of Saudi Arabia and its people”.
The Battle of Yarmouk refers to a significant clash between Arab Muslim forces from the Rashidun Caliphate era and the Christian army of the Byzantine Empire.
The battle, lasting six days in August 636 along the Yarmouk River, took place at the present-day border between Syria, Jordan and Israel.
The battle ended with a Muslim Arab victory, and saw the end of Byzantine rule in Syria.
Zimmer will be performing with a live orchestra in the capital Riyadh on 24 January and will be revisiting a number of his most famous movie scores. His performance comes amid the five-month long Riyadh Season, a series of cultural, entertainment and sporting events held in the capital.
Zimmer’s possible musical venture in Saudi Arabia comes as the country continues to expand its Vision 2030 programme, which aims to diversify its economy and cultural capital, and move away from reliance on oil production.
The programme, however, has come under fire by human rights activists and organisations as it is seen as an attempt by the country to polish its global image, amid accusations of human rights violations.
