Saina Tofiq, a software engineer from Udaipur and residing in Kuwait took centre-stage with well-known Kuwaiti singer Mubarak Al Rashid at an event held at the Kuwait National Museum.

In the cultural night at Namaste India a part of the India - Kuwait Cultural Festival on 7 December, Mubarak Al Rashed a well-known Kuwaiti singer enthralled the audience with evergreen Bollywood hits, viz. Papa Kehte Hain  and Tum Paas Aye. He was joined in the rendition by Udaipur’s Saina Tofiq who sang a variety of songs. The event for 8 December was cancelled in light of the demise of India's CDS General Bipin Rawat.

Saina is a software engineer with Kuwait Ministry of Auqaf and has done her engineering from Udaipur. She has simultaneously graduated as Vishaarad in Classical Music from the Bombay Gandharva University and also got scholarship from Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) Delhi. Saina has trained in singing under Dr. Prem Bhandari, Dr. Pamel Bhandari and Faiyyaz Khan Sb of Udaipur.

Saina’s endeavor with music and singing has been appreciated during her student days in Udaipur, where she was given the title of Voice of Udaipur and was a runner-up in Voice of Rajasthan contest in 2009. Apart from these there have been many accolades that have come her way. “While pursuing my career in software and responsibilities as a home maker, I have not let go of my love for singing and music and continue to nurture my learning with the blessings of my elders, family and teachers”, says Saina.

Saina says that her mother Sakina Dawood and father Yusuf Ali Dawood were her guiding force that provided the motivation in the earlier years. She goes on to add that while she pursued this passion with fervor during her student days, the support that she got from her husband and in laws after marriage were instrumental in keeping her passion alive to this day.

“Namaste Kuwait” a part of the India-Kuwait Cultural Festival was held at the Kuwait National Museum on 7 - 8 December to mark 60 years of India Kuwait diplomatic ties. The event brought alive the Indian cultural heritage.

The event was a rich blend of music and dance of India and Kuwait and was earlier inaugurated jointly by Dr. Bader Al Duwaish, Assistant Secretary General of the National Council of Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) and Indian Ambassador in Kuwait, Sibi George.