Christian concerts to rock country

Two Christian concerts will be held in the country over the next week.

More than 2,000 people are expected to attend the events, the first of which – a performance of the musical

Rock – will be held on Saturday at Zayed University.

Meanwhile in Dubai, St Francis of Assisi Church in Jebel Ali will host a night of live Christian rock for a crowd of 800 people next Thursday.

“We are expecting people from all Christian denominations to attend the event on Saturday,” said a spokesman for Zayed University.

“Rock tells the story of St Peter and the Book of Acts from the Bible.”

Nine churches from across the Emirates will attend Saturday’s concert at Zayed University Abu Dhabi, which will be conducted by acclaimed Anglican composer Roger Jones.

Special guests expected at the performance include the Rev Andy Thompson from St Andrew’s Church Abu Dhabi and Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development and president of Zayed University.

“This is the very first time we’ve held an event like this but there has already been a great deal of interest from all over the country,” said the university spokesman.

In Dubai, the parish of St Francis is preparing for its third annual Holy Rock Night.

The highlight of the show is expected to be a live performance by the band Rock and Soul, consisting of musicians and singers from the Jebel Ali parish. The band, which played two gigs at the church last year, has members aged between 15 and 55.

The band played to a rapt audience at the church on the same day as Pope Francis’s Mass in Abu Dhabi.

In Dubai, the parish of St Francis is preparing for its third annual Holy Rock Night