JEDDAH: The chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), Turki bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Sheikh, launched a new national program to unearth young, entertaining talents called “GEA Challenges” on Wednesday. The program aims to discover and help develop local talents, especially in fields that reflect Saudi Arabian culture. There are currently 20 categories that people can choose to enter, including music, comedy, graffiti art and acting, whilst the GEA have also said that they are open to suggestions for further categories, should there be sufficient demand for them. Successful applicants will receive part of a fund of SR20 million ($5.3 million) to train and take their talents to an international audience. The winners of each category will receive SR500,000, with the second-placed candidates winning SR300,000 and those in third place netting SR200,000. Entry applications will open on Wednesday, Feb. 6 through the program’s website, and successful applicants will be evaluated and nominated for the live stage between May 1 and June 31. Live performances and judging will be held between July 1 and Aug. 31, after which the public will be allowed to vote for their favorite. The winners will be announced in October. Registration forms, a full list of the categories currently on offer, and all terms and conditions, copyrights and other information can be found on the program’s website: geachallenges.com