JANUARY 2025 – The Future Of Music In Saudi Arabia
THE BUSINESS OF MUSIC
By Conal Urquhart. Additional reporting by Devinder Bains and Fady Nageeb
The music industry has boomed in Saudi Arabia in recent years but it remains at an early stage of development. Eight leaders in the field of entertainment and music offer their analysis to boost the music industry to the next level.
DANIEL GOLDBERG
CCO & Co-Founder of MAC Global
Founded in 2014 by Rob McIntosh and Daniel Goldberg, MAC Global is recognised as a leader in the live music and live entertainment industry in the Middle East, known for bringing big-name international touring acts to the region, such as Ed Sheeran, Michael Bublé, Drake and Sia, among others. Recently acquired by Sony Masterworks, its clients include the Saudi Music Commission, Dubai Opera, and Coca-Cola Arena. MAC Global produces concerts in the most prestigious venues across the GCC and India. In 2019 MAC Global produced the first ever Film with Orchestra concert held at The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, Dharan.
“We have been fortunate that most of our Saudi projects to date have been funded by the public sector. Without that support, we would not have inspired or witnessed some of these early magic moments. But we do have the aspiration to promote concerts without public sector backing, as we can in the United Arab Emirates and have done for decades in the United Kingdom.
Pretty much every aspect of our early shows was imported from outside Saudi Arabia from the orchestra to the instruments. This has made many projects cost prohibitive, stifling creativity and progress, but Saudi has made great strides in being less reliant on importing the infrastructure needed. The ability for the private sector to operate hand in hand with the public sector will guarantee the necessary growth and see Saudi’s ambitions accelerated.
We would appreciate a framework within which private entities such as MAC Global can operate freely as risk-taking promoters, or share risk and partner with public or government entities. This would enable us, as a Sony-backed company, to invest in the infrastructure to grow our business in the market and contribute to Saudi Arabia’s incredible vision. We fully support these aspirations but they can only be achieved by implementing an ecosystem in which numerous private and public entities can co-exist for the end goal of making the Kingdom a globally recognised centre of creative and cultural excellence.
One day, we hope to see the infrastructure develop to allow companies like us to compete in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where there is a huge demand and opportunity, and also the framework to protect the rights of the very musicians they are nurturing and who, one day, will be performing in our concerts.”