In Mideast first, Riyadh hosts major world music event
Music Cities Convention and Awards aimed to elevate Saudi music sector
Cairo: The Saudi capital Riyadh has won a bid to host next year the Music Cities Convention and Awards, making it the first of its kind to be held in the Middle East, the kingdom’s Music Commission has said.
The event aims to elevate the music sector in the kingdom and enable local talents to showcase to local, regional and international audiences, it added.
Scheduled for November 14-16, 2024, the conference will feature a variety of topics related to the music industry engaging more than 100 experts from around the world, according to the commission.
It will also include an interactive exhibition on Saudi culture music, a platform connecting global participants, and a mentorship prgramme targeting music entrepreneurs and musical performers.
In addition, an international trade exhibition of local companies and stakeholders will be held to showcase the work and efforts in the music industry.
The commission said the Music Cities Convention and Awards will include a series of activities enriching the music sector.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has sought to boost its entertainment industry, staging a string of concerts, cinema, theatrical shows and competitions that have drawn large audiences from inside and outside the kingdom.
In May 2016, the kingdom created the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), a state agency that has since sponsored a slew of stellar concerts, stage shows and festivals.
Entertainment events held across Saudi Arabia have attracted around 135 million people until mid-2023, GEA reported last month, as the country is seeking to diversify its oil-reliant economy.
In August, the Saudi ministries of education and culture unveiled a plan to train 8,000 kindergarten female teachers in music in the second phase of a course that saw in May the training of 7,000 other kindergarten teachers in its first phase.
The strategy aims, among other things, to discover Saudi talents at an early age and develop them in a way helping to boost competitiveness between educational and cultural sectors.
