Ronaldo’s traditional Ardah dance praised by Saudi fans
RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo endeared himself further to his Saudi fans on Tuesday as he celebrated scoring by performing the Ardah, one of Saudi Arabia’s most recognizable traditional dances. The Al-Nassr captain had a good night in front of goal, scoring two despite having a goal disallowed. When he slotted home the team’s second, the Portuguese international turned to the home supporters and with a hand held high, performed his version of the Ardah. The dance is one of the Kingdom’s foremost performance traditions, and in 2015 was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. It’s performed on special occasions including official visits by world leaders, national holidays, and cultural festivals. “Since his first day in Saudi Arabia, Cristiano’s statements contain love, respect and appreciation for Saudi Arabia and for the great project that we are pursuing, and today he celebrates with Ardah,” one user said on social media. Another posted: “The best player in the world doesn’t just score goals, he is also exporting Saudi culture to the world.” In the Ardah, performances start with a chant that was once used to rouse warriors facing an enemy. And in that spirit the global superstar was looking to lead his team to victory after a disastrous start to the season, losing to Steven Gerrard-led Al-Ettifaq, and Al-Taawoun. And that was exactly what he did. Ronaldo’s two penalties lifted Nassr to a 4-0 win over Al-Shabbab at Al-Awwal Park in the Saudi capital. Shabab was without doubt Nassr’s toughest challenge yet of the new season, but the home team looked comfortable throughout. Ronaldo also selflessly stepped aside to allow Abdulrahman Ghareeb to take a penalty kick on the 63rd minute even though the Portuguese
