Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Music Commission has launched the country’s first-ever music strategy, which is based on five key pillars— Education, Production, Performance, Delivery and Distribution, Advocacy and Licensing and Intellectual Property Rights, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Monday.
The music strategy has been set to support the growth of the booming music sector in Saudi Arabia with more than 60 initiatives. The strategy aims to help the sector contribute over 1 per cent to the kingdom’s Gross domestic product (GDP).
“The launch of the music strategy represents the beginning of an exciting new era for the Saudi music sector, and we are delighted to be able to share this with the world. The music commission has identified the roadmap and initiatives required to build a powerhouse music industry across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And we are implementing the plan through an exciting program of initiatives already underway, creating the pathways for talent to be identified and nurtured, strongly supported by a robust music ecosystem which will enable the sector to thrive,” SPA quoted Mohammed Al Mulhem, CEO of the music commission.
The newly built infrastructure is set to include more than 130 recording studios and training facilities across the Kingdom including the world’s largest master recording studio in Riyadh. The music commission will work to create more than 65,000 jobs across the sector by 2030.
In addition, a raft of new music institutes – including Music Hubs in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al-Khobar – will cater for the unprecedented demand for music education across the Kingdom. This demand is exemplified by the recent uptick in Saudis seeking to learn instruments, with almost 20 per cent of 15–24-year-olds now owning musical instruments.
As part of the strategy, the commission seeks to support the development of an innovative and inclusive sector through initiatives such as the world’s first e-learning virtual academy, which will use augmented and virtual reality technology to expand students’ horizons across 50 music-related units. In addition to this, the music commission is also working with the private sector to license and open 50 music education centres.