The study underscores the challenges of building a music industry from the top down. However, even if these efforts may not contribute to achieving economic diversification or cultural influence, they are already reshaping the cultural landscape of Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East and North Africa. The heavy degree of involvement of state-affiliated entities in the Saudi music industry is representative of how the centralization of ownership and control over various economic sectors contributed to the renewal of Saudi authoritarianism since 2016. Interviews, observations, and desk research are drawn upon to describe how the complex network of domestic, regional, and international stakeholders that are exploiting the Saudi state’s newfound interest in music and becoming entangled in rent-distribution networks.
 

Moreover, professional opportunities in Saudi Arabia will likely have a profound impact on the cultural scenes of neighboring countries with struggling economies, such as Egypt, as new mobilities and migrations make them increasingly dependent on the Gulf.

Amr Abdelrahim is a Research Fellow at Ifri’s Turkey/Middle East Program, which he joined in 2023. He works on Egyptian internal affairs, foreign policy, as well as broader regional geopolitics. His personal research focuses on youth, music, and politics in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).