Just when we thought we couldn’t get more excited about MDLBeast and Soundstorm, the organisers announced the first musical conference in the region. While the word conference sounds like work, you may well be booging your way through this one.
Coming to Riyadh, MDLBeast’s XP takes place from December 13-15 and will feature workshops, panel discussions, masterclasses and the chance to network (okay, mingle) with music industry professionals.
If you’re a budding musician or just want to get a behind the scenes look into how your favourite musician works, this is for you. The impressive line-up of speakers includes director and producer, Anicee Gohar; owner of KNZ Records, Jeme; and artist Hamza Hawsawi.
This year’s festival will start a conversation about music and mental health, as there’ll be a focus on wellbeing and diversity in the industry. XP aims to develop the musical infrastructure in the country and become a space where creatives can share ideas.
XP is the first conference of its kind to take place in Saudi Arabia, but it will be an annual event in the musical calendar. Here Nada Alhelabi, XP Programme Director, chats about music, money and mental health.
This is the first music conference of its kind in the region. What was the inspiration behind launching it?
Saudi Arabia is currently experiencing an incredible transformation. Previously, our music community could only thrive underground, but now we are hosting major international and regional artists and festivals with thousands of attendees. Now we have an opportunity that was not previously possible for artists, labels, promoters, venues and music fans. XP is our effort to bring together the right people at the right time.
The event is taking place at Jax in Riyadh, which is known for being an arty district. Tell us more about the location.
Jax is located close to Ad-Diriyah and the area symbolises the past, present and future of Saudi, which resonates well with XP. We have the richness of our past, our present where we are creating a foundation for the music industry, and our future where we are looking to support local and regional artists. The spot is also made of old warehouses. Motivated by a commitment to sustainability, we decided to reinvent those warehouses to create an exciting and modern space where creative minds can meet.
Share with us some of the key speakers.
We have invited leaders and creatives from all over the world. The event is designed for the musically-curious and musical masters to connect, join in conversations, workshops and experiences on how to develop a thriving music scene. We haven’t yet announced the full line-up, but invitees include executive leaders, talent agents, renowned artists, record labels founders, tour managers, music producers and so on.
What can we expect from the talks about music and mental health?
In my previous job, I worked as a public health specialist. I am currently a sound therapist. I understand the positive impact of music. XP wants to drive forward this positive conversation and aims to promote music as a support tool for mental health. It highlights how important it is to build a sustainable, strong foundation for artists, businesses and fans.
There is also a focus on women in the music industry. Tell us more.
The music industry still has a long way to go when it comes to gender equality. Representation is key, as we can clearly see a lack of female voices in the music space. At XP, we’ll be discussing women in music, and exploring equality and diversity within the industry. We want to provide a platform to create a dialogue. We are also mindful of the ratio of males and females at the conference and our mission is to have a healthy balance.
What do you hope the festival and conference will mean for the youth of Saudi Arabia?
Young people in Saudi Arabia are the future of the Kingdom. Seventy percent of the country’s population is aged between 15 and 35, hence the urgency to shape the future of the music industry. We would like to open doors for the youth, so that they can consider music as a career and develop their talents to reach a global stage.
What do you hope will be the lasting legacy of XP?
We aim to amplify the music culture in the region. There has always been a busy underground music community in Saudi, so for many people, the passion for music has always been present. Our vision at MDLBeast is to grow the music industry and economy. We have a chance to take our talent to the world stage and showcase regional culture globally, all the while building a self-sustaining music economy in the Middle East.
Book tickets in advance. December 13-15. Jax, Diriyah. mdlbeast.com
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