How AI is transforming music discovery and production in Saudi Arabia

A robot plays the piano at the Apsara Conference, a cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) conference, in Hangzhou, in China's eastern Zhejiang province on October 19, 2021. (AFP file)
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Updated 21 March 2025
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How AI is transforming music discovery and production in Saudi Arabia

  • AI is creating new music experiences while preserving the Kingdom’s musical heritage through initiatives like MusiqAI
  • MDLBEAST Records, another Saudi initiative, leverages AI tools to spark creativity in music production

RIYADH: As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, its influence in Saudi Arabia and globally extends far beyond personalizing music experiences. It is reshaping how music is created, consumed, and taught, revolutionizing the industry.

Musicians across the Kingdom are embracing new technology, with major local initiatives such as MDLBEAST Records leading the charge.

“MDLBEAST Records believes AI is a powerful tool for sparking initial creative inspiration in music production — whether generating a first beat, a musical bar, or a legitimate sample,” Matthew Dicks, executive director of music and talent at MDLBEAST Records, told Arab News.

“We encourage our artists to explore these possibilities within a framework of creative freedom.”

Launched in 2020, MDLBEAST Records is a Saudi Arabia label that promotes and develops talent from the Middle East and North Africa region.

Part of MDLBEAST entertainment, its roster includes local stars Cosmicat and Dish Dash, among others, along with international names including Salvatore Ganacci.




Matthew Dicks, executive director of music and talent at MDLBEAST Records. (MDLBeast photo)

While embracing AI’s creative potential, he emphasized the importance of ethics. “We also recognize the ethical complexities surrounding AI in music,” said Dicks. “It is paramount that the rights of original songwriters and rights holders are always respected.

“Copying, ripping, replicating, or infringing on intellectual property is strictly unacceptable. We are committed to navigating the evolving landscape of AI in music responsibly, ensuring its use enhances human creativity while upholding the integrity of artistic ownership.”

Beyond MDLBEAST Records, Saudi Arabia is making strides in preserving its musical heritage while fostering innovation. In late 2024, the Saudi Music Commission launched MusiqAI, an initiative integrating AI-driven interactive learning to teach both Arab and Western instruments.

Unlike global platforms such as Suno, AIVA and Soundful, MusiqAI prioritizes Saudi sounds and Arab musical heritage, offering lessons on traditional instruments including the oud and qanun alongside the piano and guitar.

In line with Vision 2030, the platform nurtures musical talent through AI-powered real-time feedback, personalized lesson plans, and accredited certifications.

By blending cultural preservation with advanced technology, it aims to set a new standard for digital music education both regionally and globally.

DID YOU KNOW?

• The global market for AI in music is projected to grow from $3.9 billion in 2023 to $38.7 billion by 2033.

• AI tools such as AIVA, Mubert, and Suno are already used for backing tracks, jingles, and even entire songs.

• Platforms like Spotify use AI to analyze user preferences and suggest music based on listening habits.

AI has also been used to enhance music discovery by adapting to individual preferences in real time, striking a balance between familiarity and exploration.

“AI and personalization help you listen to more of what you like,” Akshat Harbola, managing director of Spotify MENA, told Arab News. “And then what we try to do is introduce you to something you haven’t been exposed to in the past, but you might like it.”

As generative AI advances, the cost of developing innovative listening experiences is falling — a shift that Harbola believes is transformative for the industry.




Akshat Harbola, managing director of Spotify MENA. (Supplied)

“If we were to try to do something like this maybe five years back, it would be impossible because the cost would be so high,” he said. “You would have had to hire transcribers, producers, and you just wouldn’t be able to do it.

“But now we are able to deliver these personalized sessions to millions of users.”

Despite AI’s growing influence, Harbola said human expertise will remain essential. “The role of humans in AI, and when it comes to personalization, is actually going to increase over time — especially in music,” he said.

He also highlighted the importance of cultural nuances in AI-driven recommendations, noting that even shared musical tastes can differ by location.




Aas AI continues to reshape the music industry, ethical concerns surrounding copyright and artistic integrity remain a significant topic of debate among musicians and creators. (Supplied)

“Even if you have the same music taste, what makes sense for somebody in Jeddah may not make sense for somebody in Sao Paulo,” he said. “So it’s very important that human and cultural expertise is built into what the machines are recommending and the products we’re rolling out.”

Nevertheless, as AI continues to reshape the music industry, ethical concerns surrounding copyright and artistic integrity remain a significant topic of debate among musicians and creators.

Addressing these concerns, Harbola emphasized the platform’s strict stance on copyright compliance. “We are very clear that any content that infringes copyright cannot be on Spotify,” he said.

Siddiq “Sidney” Malik, a filmmaker and user of AI in music, echoed this sentiment. “We’re at the intersection of creativity and technology,” he told Arab News. “We’re sort of working to adapt the future of entertainment while we’re actively shaping it.”

Malik views AI as an empowering tool that is cost-effective, innovative, and cutting-edge, particularly in breaking linguistic barriers. “This allows for a new era of accessibility and artistic expression,” he said. “It’s more than just a basic tool.”

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Malik said it is not just about typing a prompt into a platform like ChatGPT — it is about creating an entire ecosystem.

“We’re deeply invested in the transformative power of AI music, but the key thing is that we believe it’s not about replacing human creativity — it’s about amplifying it,” he said.

However, he warned that musicians who resist AI adoption could later face competition from advanced tools. “It’s a critical moment for creators whereby if they do not embrace and collaborate with AI, they run the risk of competing with AI — which will be impossible.”

Drawing parallels to shifts in the film industry, Malik noted how creatives have adapted before and must do so again to embrace AI’s possibilities.

“I think we have had these shifts — analog to digital to virtual and now artificial,” he said. “AI gives artists the power to be the masters of their own destiny, which is very important in the music industry.”




Despite AI’s growing influence, human expertise will remain essential, says Akshat Harbola, managing director of Spotify MENA. (Supplied)

Riyadh-based musician Lun encapsulates the cautious yet curious approach many artists are taking toward the rapidly evolving music landscape shaped by AI.

“I have not used AI before in my own music because I never thought I needed to. But as a tool, it can be of help,” he told Arab News.

While intrigued by AI’s potential, Lun highlighted ethical concerns that remain central to discussions across the industry.

“If an artist uses it to help with something they’re stuck on — to compile ideas so they can come up with an original part on their own — then I don’t see any harm in it,” he said.

“But if they use the tool to write the entire thing from A to Z, then I think we have a problem because it is no longer the artist who composed it, regardless of how they spin it.”
 

 


How Saudi Arabia can balance its AI infrastructure and sustainable water usage

Updated 25 April 2025
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How Saudi Arabia can balance its AI infrastructure and sustainable water usage

  • While AI’s energy demands are widely known, its vast and growing water footprint remains largely out of sight
  • Experts urge early-stage planning and water-smart designs to reduce risk and future-proof AI growth in arid climates

RIYADH: Artificial intelligence has opened up remarkable new possibilities — but beneath its sleek, digital surface lies an overlooked environmental cost: Water.

While debates over AI’s energy demands have captured headlines, its vast and growing water footprint remains largely out of sight. That blind spot, experts warn, could carry serious consequences.

Salah Al-Kafrawi, senior consultant at EY for data and AI, told Arab News: “We have no universal approach to assess how much water is consumed while using or training AI,” leaving the true scale of the problem poorly understood.

Although a few tech firms publish rough water usage estimates, most businesses — from e-commerce to aviation — remain unaware of their consumption. “Many aren’t even aware of their water footprint,” Al-Kafrawi said

Even available data likely underestimates reality by a factor of 10 or more. In a world facing increasing water scarcity, AI’s mounting thirst is a silent crisis — one that demands innovation, transparency and smarter systems.

AI’s water usage is complex. It includes both direct consumption, such as cooling servers, and indirect usage tied to the electricity that powers them.

“AI requires significant data for training and evaluation, along with electricity to operate and cooling systems to prevent overheating,” Al-Kafrawi said.

That electricity often comes from water-intensive power sources. Coal-fired and nuclear plants, for instance, consume “millions of gallons of water daily” for steam production and cooling — a hidden environmental cost rarely accounted for in sustainability reports.

Meanwhile, data centers use vast amounts of water to stop their servers from overheating.

An artist's rendition of the data center of KAUST. (KAUST photo)

“Data centers often use water cooling towers to dissipate heat generated by their servers,” said Al-Kafrawi, noting this creates “another significant source of water usage.”

This leads to a vicious cycle: AI requires power, power generates heat, and cooling that heat requires more water.

“The combination of water needed for electricity generation and cooling systems means that AI’s water footprint extends far beyond what might be immediately apparent,” Al-Kafrawi said.

In Saudi Arabia, where water is scarce and AI infrastructure is booming, managing this balance is becoming increasingly urgent.

Abdulelah Al-Shehri, assistant professor of chemical engineering at King Saud University, said that most global data centers rely on potable water — despite its scarcity.

“Water purity directly affects a system’s lifespan,” he said. Indeed, reclaimed water can risk corrosion and microbial contamination, though efforts to safely reuse non-potable sources are gaining traction.

Most global data centers rely on potable water, putting pressure on scarce supply. (AFP photo)

Currently, most data centers in the Kingdom use hybrid cooling systems.

“Saudi data centers rely on high-efficiency mechanical cooling systems combining air-cooled and water-cooled chillers,” said Al-Shehri, referencing Microsoft’s climate-adaptive guidelines and the Saudi Telecom Company’s 2023 Sustainability Report.

Even these efficient systems come with a significant toll. Al-Shehri said that cooling infrastructure for the country’s 300 MW of operational data centers consumes between 2.3 and 2.8 liters of water per kilowatt-hour.

“If we look at current capacity operating at full load year-round, annual water use would approach 6.7 million cubic meters,” he warned — roughly the same amount used by 160,000 Saudi households each year.

And this is just the beginning. Al-Shehri projected that capacity could more than quadruple to 1,300 MW within five years — putting total water use on par with the needs of 700,000 households.

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“These figures only capture direct water use for cooling,” he added. The indirect cost, tied to fossil fuel-based energy production, remains even greater.

Despite the growing demand, Al-Shehri said that there are promising solutions — but they require investment and vision.

“Multiple solutions are emerging to reduce water usage in data center cooling, though investors often hesitate because of the intensive capital investment and costly retrofits.”

Among the most promising ideas is rethinking traditional cooling standards. “Microsoft and Google have piloted these so-called ‘high-temperature data centers,’ which would effectively drive the direct water footprint to zero,” he said.

Raising operating temperatures from 21 degrees Celsius to as high as 35 Celsius allows systems to rely more on air than water.

Other technologies focus on recycling heat. “Absorption chillers can reclaim up to 40 percent of waste heat here and repurpose it for cooling,” said Al-Shehri, pointing to global examples such as Swiss company Infomaniak, which now uses server heat to warm 6,000 homes.

The Swiss company Infomaniak uses absorption chillers to reclaim waste heat, which it then sells to warm 6,000 homes. (X: @infomaniak_de)

There is also the energy mix to consider. “Diversifying energy sources for AI power isn’t a simple swap,” he said. “It hinges on resource availability, proximity to data centers, and the water footprint.”

Research shows that solar and wind are the most water-efficient sources. By contrast, biomass — a widely promoted renewable option — can consume “up to 100 times more water than natural gas,” Al-Shehri said.

Another overlooked cost comes from the treatment and transportation of water itself — a point highlighted by Abdullah Al-Otaibi, Saudi Arabia managing director at global water solutions firm Ecolab.

“Water must be moved, heated, cooled and treated to be fit for business use, which requires energy,” Al-Otaibi told Arab News. He framed water and energy as interconnected levers — what scientists call the “water-energy nexus.”

“Water serves a dual purpose in data centers. It cools infrastructure directly and gets consumed indirectly when generating the electricity that powers high-performance computing,” he said.

Failing to manage this interdependency is risky. “Overlooking water creates risk — particularly in regions like Saudi Arabia, where water is scarce, and digital infrastructure is expanding rapidly.”

DID YOU KNOW?

• AI systems consume large volumes of water through energy generation and data center cooling.  

• High-temperature data centers and heat-recycling systems offer promising ways to reduce direct water use.  

• Experts urge early-stage planning and water-smart designs to reduce risk and future-proof AI growth.

Al-Otaibi said that better data and AI tools can help companies to understand and reduce their water and energy footprints. “With the right data and technologies, businesses can make water use more visible — and more manageable,” he said.

Ecolab’s audits show significant gains are possible. Their tools have helped clients to cut water usage by 44 percent, energy by 22 percent and emissions by 12 percent, all while improving reliability.

“Water efficiency can become a business enabler — supporting uptime and sustainability targets at the same time,” Al-Otaibi said.

With AI infrastructure expanding rapidly across the Gulf, Al-Otaibi urged stakeholders to act now — especially in design stages. “The key is starting early — smart water strategies begin before construction,” he said.

He cited Ecolab’s partnership with global data center operator Digital Realty, where their AI-driven system is expected to reduce water use by up to 15 percent and prevent the withdrawal of 126 million gallons of potable water annually.

For Saudi Arabia, where water is precious and technology ambitions are vast, that kind of efficiency is not just smart — it is essential.


 


Environment minister leads meeting on Saudi Irrigation Organization’s progress

Updated 24 April 2025
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Environment minister leads meeting on Saudi Irrigation Organization’s progress

  • The board looked at a report on the institution which included performance indicators, achievement rates, and the progress of ongoing projects in various regions of the Kingdom

RIYADH: The Saudi Irrigation Organization’s board of directors held its 24th meeting on Thursday in Riyadh.

The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadli.

The board looked at a report on the institution which included performance indicators, achievement rates, and the progress of ongoing projects in various regions of the Kingdom.

It also looked into updates on activities and initiatives aimed at improving the efficiency of water resource use and boosting agricultural sustainability.

Board members spoke of their appreciation of the wise leadership’s ongoing support, affirming that the significant attention given to the water sector consolidated sustainability factors, and enhanced the institution’s ability to effectively contribute to achieving Saudi Vision 2030.

The meeting concluded with a series of decisions and directives which aim to enhance institutional performance efficiency, and expand partnership possibilities with the relevant entities.


Blue tea cultivation in Jazan highlighted

Updated 24 April 2025
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Blue tea cultivation in Jazan highlighted

  • The cultivation project is a part of Jazan Mountainous Areas Development and Reconstruction Authority’s strategic initiatives to promote sustainable agriculture in the mountainous area of Jazan
  • Project plays a key role in supporting the local economy and expanding income sources within the agricultural sector

RIYADH: The Jazan Mountainous Areas Development and Reconstruction Authority is currently showcasing its expertise in cultivating blue tea.

The showcase is a part of the authority’s participation in Environment Week 2025, organized by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, with government, private, and nonprofit organizations.

The authority’s pavilion has been visited by a number of people intrigued by blue tea’s nutritional benefits, unique flavor and vibrant color.

The cultivation project is a part of the authority’s strategic initiatives to promote sustainable agriculture in the mountainous area of Jazan.

The project plays a key role in supporting the local economy and expanding income sources within the agricultural sector.


Saudi Islamic affairs ministry participates in Muscat book fair

Updated 24 April 2025
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Saudi Islamic affairs ministry participates in Muscat book fair

  • The ministry’s booth showcases a variety of editions of the Qur’an printed by the King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur’an in Madinah

RIYADH: The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, represented by the General Secretariat for Exhibitions and Conferences, is at the Kingdom’s pavilion for the 29th edition of the Muscat International Book Fair.

The fair began on Wednesday and runs until May 3.

The event is hosting 674 publishing houses from 35 countries this year, with 640 participating directly and 34 through agencies. 

The ministry’s booth showcases a variety of editions of the Qur’an printed by the King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur’an in Madinah, along with translations of its meanings in more than 77 languages.

It is also presenting a detailed explanation of the mechanism of printing the Qur’an, the stages it undergoes within the complex, and the modern technologies used, with the aim of informing visitors about the message the Kingdom delivers in caring for the Qur’an through its printing and distribution to Muslims around the world.

In addition, the ministry is displaying numerous applications and digital programs to serve the exhibition’s visitors.


Taif rose forum attracts 350,000 visitors in 10 days

Updated 24 April 2025
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Taif rose forum attracts 350,000 visitors in 10 days

  • Highlights include ‘flower carpet’ made from 850,000 blooms
  • Event at Arruddaf Park runs until Saturday

TAIF: The inaugural Rose and Aromatic Plants Global Forum attracted more than 350,000 visitors in its first 10 days.

The event at Arruddaf Park in Taif opened on April 13 and runs until Saturday. It marks a significant milestone for the region, blending tradition with cutting-edge technology.

The organizers have incorporated artificial intelligence, automated monitoring systems and comprehensive historical documentation of Taif’s famous roses.

The innovative displays and exhibitions have attracted tourists from around the world, underscoring Taif’s growing reputation as a premier destination for natural beauty and botanical diversity.

In a stunning centerpiece that has become the festival’s most photographed attraction, Taif Municipality unveiled an elaborate flower carpet featuring more than 850,000 individual blooms.

The display combines elements of traditional Saudi architecture and Taif’s distinctive building style. It also tells a story of the region’s evolution, featuring a model of the Al-Hada mountains and representations of transport systems through the ages.

Visitors can trace the journey from the historic Camel Path that once connected Taif and Makkah to the modern Al-Masafala Road, culminating with a representation of today’s cable car system that whisks travelers through the mountainous terrain in minutes — a powerful symbol of the city’s technological and cultural advancement.

This festival reinforces Taif’s identity as the City of Roses and a unique tourist destination, and aligns perfectly with Saudi Vision 2030’s ambitious objectives for developing both the tourism and technology sectors.