RIYADH: The annual XP Music Futures conference has started in Riyadh, celebrating creative voices and focusing firmly on the Kingdom’s music and entertainment culture.

Hosted in JAX District, the festival brings together artists, managers and fans in a bid to drive the region’s music scene forward. It is hosted by the MDLBEAST Foundation and includes a series of panel talks and workshops.

During the Saudi Music Managers Forum on Thursday, industry pioneers spoke about their experiences.

During on on-stage discussion between Gigi Arabia, CEO of heavy metal promotion company Heavy Arabia, and Rayan Al-Rasheed, director of operations and artist booking at MDLBEAST, the pair emphasized the importance of investing in Saudi artists.

Al-Rasheed explained that supporting the ecosystem surrounding Saudi artists from production to creative direction was a necessary component of greater success.

“What we lack in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) market is the investment in artists. When I bring foreign artists they have their own visual artists, sound engineers and more … That’s what we need to invest in, that’s what will help sell shows in the end. The more you invest, the more the product succeeds,” he said.

Zeyne, a Palestinian Jordanian artist, spoke about the importance of Arab artistic representation.

On delicately incorporating Arab culture into art, she said: “We approached everything with a lot of intention and research, and I think that’s really important when you want to represent culture.”

The mission of empowering the region’s voices through art at the festival goes beyond music, with a diverse array of creatives attending.

Rawan Al-Turki and Abir Ahmed, photographers from Jeddah, spoke to Arab News about being part of Riyadh’s ambitious creative sector. Al-Turki said: “The development that’s happening in Riyadh, it’s really beautiful … you see so much innovation from all these artists … we’re so proud of the transformation.”