Saudi Arabia asks Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer to rework national anthem; Who is he?

Saudi Arabia has asked Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer to work on a new version of its national anthem, a senior official said as reported by AFP. This move comes as the conservative kingdom steps up an image makeover.

The Oscar-winning composer has agreed to the "broad outlines" of the project, General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh said as reported by AFP.

Who is Hans Zimmer?

German-born composer Hans Zimmer is recognised as one of Hollywood's most innovative musical talents.

According to IMDb info, Zimmer started his film music career in London, working closely with his mentor Stanley Myers. He later took on successful solo projects, such as A World Apart, and was known for blending traditional and modern musical technologies.

Zimmer's career took a significant turn in 1988 when he was invited to compose the score for Rain Man, directed by Barry Levinson. The film went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Zimmer received his first Oscar nomination for Best Original Score.

His famous film scores include 1994's "The Lion King", "Dune" and "Dark Knight" trilogy.

When was the original Saudi national anthem written?

The Saudi anthem "Aash Al-Malik" ("Long Live The King") was written in 1947 by Egyptian composer Abdul Rahman Al-Khateeb, at the request of founding monarch King Abdulaziz, according to nationalanthems.info.

The website also mentions that in 1984 King Fahd had asked poet Ibrahim Al Khafaji to write new lyrics, which are the official lyrics of 'Aash Al Maleek' today.

The current version is in the "Arab fanfare" style common in the region in that era, the website said.

Why Saudi Arabia wants to rework the national anthem?

Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter and home of Islam's holiest sites, is pursuing an ambitious revamp as it tries to diversify its economy away from crude.

After reopening cinemas, allowing women to drive and admitting the first non-Muslim tourists in 2018, the makeover has gone into overdrive with a slew of mega-projects including resorts and NEOM, a futuristic city in the desert costing $500 billion.

Activist on revamping Saudi National Anthem

According to AFP report, activists have said the Saudi authorities' overall push to upgrade their image is an attempt to gloss over fundamentally unchanged hardline policies, including limited rights for women, curbs on free speech and some of the world's highest execution figures.