RIYADH: Austrian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Georg Postinger hosted the concert “Orient meets Occident,” blending Saudi and Austrian influences in a night of music and cultural celebration, on Sunday in Riyadh. The concert featured performances by violinist Daniel Auner, his mother Irina Auner, who played the piano, and Ehab Abdin, who played the oud.  “We are witnessing something that is a little bit of an attempt at something new,” Austrian Ambassador Georg Postinger told Arab News of the concert, which he described as a “merger” between East and West.  The ambassador stressed the importance of holding events that promote cultural understanding and cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Austria.  “You can kind of describe it as cultural dialogue,” Postinger said. The concert began with classical Austrian music, which was followed by traditional Arabic sounds with oud player Abdin. The guest list comprised a diverse group of figures from music lovers to professionals in the cultural sectors of Saudi Arabia, from ambassadors to influencers.   The Auner mother-son duo played music from Fritz Kreisler and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with each performance followed by an explanation of the history and inspiration behind the music. Following the Austrian set, Abdin performed traditional Saudi oud music, playing Farid Al-Atrash’s “Albi wa Muftahu” and Salim Al-Masri’s “Lamma Bada Yatathana,” among other pieces. The performance was met with a standing ovation from the audience. “It’s a very wonderful feeling performing here, especially with the beautiful response from the audience,” Abdin said.  Postinger said that the Austrian Embassy aims to continuously host events that promote cultural exchange and cooperation.