MDLBEAST Foundation has announced its ambitious plans for 2025, solidifying its position as a leading driver of the music industry in the MENA region. Building on four successful editions, MDLBEAST Foundation is pioneering a new era of transformation, collaboration, and innovation, with a focus on humanity, sustainability, and conscious music.
As part of this vision, the MDLBEAST Foundation hosted an exclusive gala at Attache, an unforgettable evening of entertainment and celebration. The event welcomed over 180+ distinguished guests, including industry leaders, celebrities, and influential figures from the music world, setting the stage for a year of groundbreaking initiatives.
Nada Alhelabi, the General Manager of MDLBEAST Foundation, expressed: “We are committed to advancing the music industry through innovative research, sustainable practices, and meaningful collaborations. Our XP initiatives in 2025 are designed to create shared value for all members of the music community. This year, we are proud to complement these efforts with initiatives such as our HUNNA mentorship program, the XPERFORM talent competition, and the XCHANGE workshop series. Each of these reflects our mission to support emerging talent and foster a vibrant, sustainable music ecosystem.”
Empowering the Ecosystem: MDLBEAST Foundation Key Highlights in 2024 and 2025 Plans
In 2024, MDLBEAST Foundation initiatives made significant strides in empowering the music ecosystem in the MENA region. Key highlights include:
XP Music Futures: Hosted the fourth edition of the premier music conference in the region, bringing together industry experts, artists, producers, labels, and music enthusiasts. Pioneering New Milestones in 2025 XP Music Futures conference will return for its fifth edition, bringing together industry experts, artists, producers, labels, and music enthusiasts for the region’s leading three-day music conference. This flagship event remains central to our mission of scaling the music industry across MENA.
Hearful: Our hearing health awareness initiative conducted over 140 hearing tests and diagnosed 13 individuals with hearing difficulties in 2024, emphasizing the importance of hearing health awareness. The initiative focusing on tinnitus awareness and prevention, will continue its mission of safeguarding hearing health. In collaboration with Arabtone, we aim to expand our efforts to offer hearing tests and provide earplugs at XP and Soundstorm events.
XCHANGE: a dynamic series of workshops touring the Middle East, hosted sessions in Kuwait City, Tunis, and Muscat throughout 2024, bringing together over 200 music professionals and fostering regional collaboration. XCHANGE kicked off its 2025 tour on February 6th in Manama, Bahrain, marking the start of an expanded journey across the region. The tour will continue in Doha, Marrakech, and Riyadh, providing a platform for industry professionals to connect, exchange ideas, and drive the music scene forward. Each city will host a Hunna gathering, bringing together women in the industry for collective forums.
The workshop in Manama, titled “Musician & Multi-Disciplinary Creative Artist Performing,” will feature a distinguished lineup of panelists, including Ali Zayani, Co-founder of Soundscapes; Mashael Fairooz, Founding Partner of JEO Capital Management; Lance Tobin, Vice President of Booking at Al Dana Amphitheatre; and Wrista, Recording Artist & Founder of L.O.A.D.B Productions.
Sound Futures: XP Sound Futures initiative connects eligible music startups with investors to drive innovation in the music ecosystem. In 2024, six startups pitched to investors at XP, and we will open a new call for applications in March 2025. This initiative is a cornerstone of our efforts to expand business opportunities within the music industry.
PWR CHORD: Launched in 2024 at XP Music Futures, PWR CHORD featured 10 talented guitarists performing before a panel of six renowned judges, including world-famous guitarists. The winner received a unique signed guitar from Megadeth’s lead guitarist, marking a major milestone in their career.
XPERFORM: Discovered and elevated fresh talent, offering a platform for new voices, with Lamia Khattab winning in 2024 and earning a performance at Soundstorm’24 and a 2025 collaboration with MDLBEAST Records. Lamia Khattab won and stood out amongst more than 1000 individuals representing more than 36 nationalities. Returning for its fourth edition to discover and elevate fresh new voices.
Storm Shaker: The search for the next breakthrough DJ returns in 2025, culminating in a thrilling final competition at XP in December. The winner will debut at Soundstorm and embark on an international tour as the grand prize. Last year’s winner, Saadoon, is already scheduled to perform in O- -Beach Dubai, EXIT Festival, MOGA, and BSMNT The Club, after performing at Soundstorm.
Artist Management Bootcamp: Graduated 35 participants, equipping them with comprehensive artist management knowledge, with top graduates securing internships at Sony Music, Warner Music, and MDLBEAST Records, nurturing the next generation of industry leaders, We aim to expand this program further in 2025, empowering future leaders in the industry.
In its mission to scale and empower the regional music ecosystem, MDLBEAST’s XP has outlined a series of impactful initiatives for 2025, including the continuation of Hearful to promote hearing health, the launch of XCHANGE workshops in 3 new destinations, Manama, Doha & Marrakesh to foster collaboration and support women in the industry through Hunna gatherings, and the expansion of Sound Futures to connect music startups with investors. Other initiatives include XPERFORM, aimed at discovering new voices; Storm Shaker, a DJ competition culminating in international tours; and the Artist Management Bootcamp to nurture the next generation of industry leaders.
Alhelabi further noted: “Through these initiatives, MDLBEAST Foundation is not only shaping the future of music in Saudi Arabia and the region but also contributing to the development of a global music industry that is innovative, inclusive, and resilient.”
“We extend our gratitude to our community and partners who share our mission to elevate the music industry in the region. As we embark on our 2025 journey, we invite new partners to join us in scaling and fortifying the music ecosystem through XP initiatives”, Alhelabi added.
Nite Ventures (New Initiative): This year, we are launching Nite Ventures, an initiative dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs, event promoters, and venue owners to create and launch new nightlife events, shaping Riyadh’s growing entertainment scene. Additionally, will support the emerging Riyadh nightlife concepts and event creators.
