Global music icon Enrique Iglesias made a spectacular debut in Dubai this September, performing to a sold-out crowd at the renowned Coca-Cola Arena. The high-energy concert, a significant addition to the Middle East’s growing reputation for hosting world-class events, saw Clair Global UAE at the forefront, delivering exceptional technical solutions that ensured every detail of the sound experience was flawless. The collaboration between Clair Global UAE and Sound Image, Enrique’s long-time touring partner, made sure the event met the highest global standards.

For an artist like Iglesias, whose career spans over two decades with more than 180 million records sold, delivering a flawless world-class live sound experience is essential. Sound Image, a Clair Global brand and long-time partner for Iglesias’ international tours, has been instrumental in providing cutting-edge audio solutions for the star. However, for this one-off concert in Dubai, the responsibility of delivering the technical setup fell to Clair Global UAE, who together with Sound Image, rose to the occasion by meeting all the artist’s exacting requirements while also aligning with broader environmental goals.

Al Woods, COO of Clair Global UAE, explained the advantages of working within the Clair Global network, stating, “It’s always much easier to advance a one-off concert when the artist uses a Clair Global company to provide equipment and crew. In essence, having the intracompany contacts enables us to streamline the advance and preparation of the equipment.”

He further emphasized that despite being one of the smaller Clair Global setups worldwide, the standards in the Middle East are no less rigorous. “The standard of equipment and crewing we have here in the Middle East is on par with every other Clair Global office. We may have a smaller set-up, but we follow company packaging standards and have a team who turn out every job impeccably as we would a tour. Our in-house engineers are also highly skilled and understand how to advance and look after incoming artists and their every need.”

Clair Global UAE’s local team played a crucial role in this seamless execution. Dubai is part of Clair’s global network, which is renowned for having highly trained personnel and cutting-edge equipment available across major event hubs worldwide. “Dubai is no exception to this rule, we are well-stocked to cover incoming requests and, on this occasion, supplied practically everything needed for the control package. While the artist brought a couple of pelican cases, a rack, and three audio personnel, the rest was provided locally,” Woods said.

He added that Clair’s ability to supply equipment locally allows artists to reduce the carbon footprint of their performances. “The ability to do so in-country enables artists to perform one-off shows by drastically reducing the commercial aspect of delivery. Clair is also mindful of the carbon footprint caused by flying tons of equipment for one-off events. This is a prime example of our corporate and social responsibility to try to reduce emissions where we can.”

At the heart of Enrique Iglesias’ audio setup was Front of House (FOH) Engineer Brad Divens, who has consistently favoured JBL PA systems supplied by Sound Image. Coincidentally, the Coca-Cola Arena’s in-house system also uses JBL A12 line arrays, providing a perfect match for the concert. Woods commented on this fortuitous alignment, saying, “Brad’s preferred system is the JBL A12. This worked out very well as Coca-Cola was promoting the event directly and we were consciously using as much of their in-house system as possible to deliver the audio solutions required.”

The collaboration between Clair Global UAE and the Coca-Cola Arena was also strengthened by the expertise of Malcolm Giles, Director of Technical Production for ASM Global Middle East. Giles, a former touring audio engineer, played a pivotal role in ensuring that the in-house system met the demanding technical requirements of the concert. “Partnering with Malcolm to lean on his venue expertise was a big plus,” Woods explained. “Malcolm is an ex-touring audio engineer and understands exactly what high-calibre artists expect. He made the whole process of utilizing the Coca-Cola Arena house system seamless.”

To meet the specific demands of the show, Clair Global UAE provided a Yamaha PM10 Rivage console at FOH, complemented by outboard effects and processing that the tour brought with them. The entire setup was integrated flawlessly with the local system, ensuring that the audio production was of the highest standard. On stage, Monitor Engineer Eddie ‘El Brujo’ Caipo relied on an Avid S6L 32D console with a Waves Titan package, provided by Clair Global UAE, to ensure Enrique and his band could hear every detail clearly during the performance.

The Coca-Cola Arena also supplied PSM1000 TX in-ear monitors (IEMs), the complete JBL PA system, drives and system engineers; ensuring that every part of the sound delivery was handled with precision. Luke Brookes, Senior Audio Technician at the venue, led the team responsible for system engineering and management throughout the concert. The close cooperation between Clair Global UAE and the Coca-Cola Arena’s technical team was crucial in delivering the exceptional audio experience that fans enjoyed on the night.

Josh Swart, Sound Image Account Executive for Enrique Iglesias, highlighted the seamless collaboration and professionalism of the Clair Global UAE team. “Both engineers were extremely impressed with not only the way the gear is maintained but how well it was prepped. They both commented that the console package in Dubai felt like it had come straight out of one of our US shops!” Swart’s comments reaffirm Clair Global UAE’s commitment to maintaining the same high standards of equipment and preparation found in any of their global locations.

The Clair Global UAE team for the event included Audio Project Manager Dana Beaudin, FOH Audio Technician George Forsyth, Monitor and RF Audio Technician Clinton Hattingh, and Stage Tech Kate Lee. Together, they worked alongside the Coca-Cola Arena’s technical crew to ensure that the concert ran smoothly from start to finish.

In closing; Enrique Iglesias’ debut performance in Dubai was a resounding success, not only for the thousands of fans who attended but also as a testament to the skill and expertise of Clair Global UAE. The seamless integration of cutting-edge technology, local expertise, and international collaboration allowed the concert to shine as a landmark event for the region. With its reputation for delivering world-class live event technical solutions, Clair Global UAE once again proved why they are a leader in the Middle East’s growing live entertainment market.

Clair Global UAE