Join us for KAUST Got Talent, the annual celebration of incredible KAUST talent and guest performances from community groups and nationally acclaimed special guests. Campus and Community (C&C) is honored to provide a platform to showcase their exceptional skills.
Get ready for an unforgettable night of entertainment.
- Date: Thursday, May 14
- Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Place: Auditorium, Building 20
Come early to get the best seats. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Intermission at 7:00 p.m. Live streaming will be available at Discovery Square.
Program
An amazing lineup of finalists has worked tirelessly to perfect their craft and showcase their talent to the community. Guest performers, including previous KAUST Got Talent winners will join the finalists to keep you entertained.
Prizes
KAUST Got Talent winners are chosen by the live attending audience and a panel of judges, each accounting for 50% of the result. For the first time, a ‘real-time’ voting app will be used.
The winner of KAUST Got Talent 2026 will be awarded the grand prize of business class return air tickets to Europe or Asia, with the runners up receiving gift vouchers.
A raffle draw will be held on the night for the participating voting audience.
Meet the Show Hosts – Belky and David Ketcheson
David and Belky are active members of the KAUST community that has been their home for more than 15 years.
Belky loves dancing and has organized community salsa classes; she also volunteers at TKS and has hosted the talent show many times.
David is a professor of applied mathematics and has organized outreach activities at TKS as well as co-hosting KAUST’s Got Talent for the past three years.
Meet the Judges
Learn more about the judging panel below.
Qusai Kheder
Saudi rapper and singer-songwriter
Qusai, known as Don Legend, is a pioneering figure in Arabic Hip-Hop and the first Saudi Arabian rapper, having begun his professional DJ career at just 16 years old. After moving to the United States, he built an impressive career spanning the Middle East, Europe, and America, collaborating with artists across both underground and mainstream levels and earning features in notable publications including Business Week.
His greatest achievement lies in masterfully blending Arabic music with Hip-Hop, carving out a unique sound that bridges cultures and pushes the genre onto the global stage. Guided by his alias “Kamelion,” Qusai continues to serve as both a historian and ambassador of Hip-Hop, driven by an unwavering passion to take the culture international.
Giovanni Vorraro
Research Scientist & Musician
Life is a journey. So is music. Giovanni spent the last ten years around the world enjoying and absorbing different cultures. Officially, he is a researcher but, in his heart, there is music as well. Perfectly divided between science and music, he played at many musical events at KAUST and in Jeddah, alone or with the Red in Blue Jazz Trio.
Tina López Latussek
Events & Engagement Officer
Tina, from Barcelona, works in event management, where she integrates music and shows to create meaningful experiences. She sees music as the soundtrack of life.
Ros Harvey
C&C Engagement Lead
Roswitha brings an engagement-focused perspective to the judging panel, with a strong interest in how different art forms can express clear, purposeful messages. Particularly drawn to work that communicates meaning with authenticity and emotional clarity, Roswitha values artistic expression that positively influences, connects and enriches the human experience.
Featured Guest Performers
Khawater Aldalam
A Saudi Arabian light-up dance crew who were crowned winners of Season 2 of Arabs Got Talent in June 2012.
KAUST Community Chorus
The KAUST community Chorus is a vibrant multicultural group united by a shared passion for music and singing.
About the conductor:
Irene Farronato works as a vocal coach and voice teacher. Serving as chorus director for this season, she previously worked at TKS as a music/drama teacher.
David Keys & Natalia Garmashova
David Keyes, a computational mathematician and founding dean at KAUST, studied piano, music theory, and composition as a youth while participating in bands, orchestras, choruses, and musical theatre. Natalia Garmashova is a Russian-American classical singer and art photographer currently residing in KAUST.
Tarab Band
An Arabic music ensemble that performs the finest classical songs with authenticity. The leader of the band is Khalid Alhamdan, a PhD Candidate at KAUST (Water Desalination and Reuse Platform). The other members are Ahmed Halawani and Abdulkareem Alasali (Percussion), Mohamed Ammar (Violin) and Mohamed Bacher (Qanun).
Join us to make this year’s show a great success, the finalists need your votes and support.
Note: Once the Auditorium is full, people will be redirected to Discovery Square, where a live stream of the Show will be set up.
Share your favorite moments from the event with us on Instagram using #KAUSTlife. Follow us on Instagram @KAUST.life to learn more about such events and activities.
