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RIYADH: Spotify has released its first Saudi “Loud & Clear report, highlighting the rise of the Kingdom’s music industry, where local artists are leveraging global discovery into sustainable careers.

According to the report, Saudi artists generated more than SR13 million ($3.5 million) in royalties on Spotify in 2024 — a 76 percent increase from the previous year and more than double the total in 2022. At the same time, Saudi artists were discovered by first-time listeners more than 220 million times. According to Spotify, more than 90 percent of royalties came from audiences outside the Kingdom.

“�������� is one of the most exciting music markets in the Middle East today. If you look back just a decade, much of the scene was underground. Fast-forward to now, and the story is very different: Artists are reaching audiences at scale, royalties are growing fast, and the ecosystem is buzzing with possibility,” said Akshat Harbola, managing director for Spotify MENAP.

He added that the momentum was “undeniable,” noting that ��������’s Music Commission projects the industry could become a half-billion-dollar market within the next decade. “To realize that vision, every stakeholder needs to come together, and the time to start that conversation is now,” he said.

The Loud & Clear event in Riyadh on Thursday was designed as a conversation-starter, bringing together artists, industry leaders and fans to examine how streaming revenues are shaping careers. Harbola described the milestone as proof that music is becoming a viable profession in the Kingdom. “We celebrated some powerful wins, more than SR13 million in royalties generated, with many Saudi artists now generating over SR100,000 last year. This is proof that music can become a sustainable career,” he said.

Spotify’s report also showed that Saudi music consumption on the platform has grown by nearly 200 percent since 2020, fueled by local pride and younger audiences. Harbola emphasized that the goal is not only growth but transparency: “By breaking down how royalties flow, how rights are protected, and how artists can truly earn from their work, we can build a more transparent and sustainable system from day one.”

What stood out most, he said, was the diversity of the Saudi music scene. “Of course, Tarab remains a powerful genre, but alongside it you now have electronic producers filling global arenas, and singer-songwriters blending Arabic and English in ways that feel fresh and original,” Harbola said, citing acoustic performances that showcased the mix of languages and styles now defining the Kingdom’s sound.

Spotify has already launched initiatives such as RADAR Arabia, EQUAL Arabia, and Fresh Finds Saudi to support emerging talent. Harbola underlined that discovery remains at the heart of the platform. “In 2024 alone, Spotify helped drive more than 220 million discoveries of Saudi artists worldwide,” he said.

Looking ahead, Spotify announced a new Saudi campaign, The GM of Vibes, celebrating the creativity and energy of the Kingdom’s listeners. “We’re incredibly focused on our mission to support artists and to educate music fans about streaming music legally. The more they stream, the more their favorite artists can sustain a living from their art,” Harbola said.

As ��������’s music ecosystem accelerates under Vision 2030, Spotify’s data-driven push for transparency signals a new era where artists are not only being heard but increasingly rewarded.

DUBAI: For its ninth season, Dubai Opera is welcoming more than 50 international productions to the stage, including regional debuts, new collaborations, and modern interpretations of opera, ballet, and musical theater.

Arab News spoke to Paolo Petrocelli, head of Dubai Opera, about how the calendar caters to the city’s famously diverse demographics.

The season launched in September with Giacomo Puccini’s opera “La Boheme,” Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and the “Emperor” piano concerto, and Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” ballet.

The shows have been “carefully curated to reflect the cosmopolitan identity of Dubai,” Petrocelli said.

He added that “the program spans opera, ballet, musicals, Arabic music, comedy, concerts, and theater. This diversity ensures that every generation and cultural background finds something to connect with.”

Among the roster of shows, “WICKED” is set to make its UAE debut after a run in ��������, while “Grease” and “Rumi: The Musical” will also be featured in the 2025-26 calendar.

“More than 40 percent of our audience is under 45, which is quite unique for an opera house,” Petrocelli explained. The roster was crafted to create an “inclusive platform where timeless traditions meet contemporary creativity.”

This season Dubai Opera is also expanding upon its Arabic-language offerings, with performances by Najwa Karam, Zade Dirani, Elissa, Marilyne Naaman, The Yemenis Orchestra, Omar Khairat, and Khalid Abdulrahman.

“(We are) presenting legendary icons alongside emerging voices to better reflect the richness and diversity of the region,” Petrocelli explained.

Testing the waters this season is the regional debut of “War and Peace,” a stage adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s epic novel. The play “allow(s) us to push boundaries and test audience appetite for ambitious works that combine scale, depth, and artistic daring,” Petrocelli said of the dramatization.

“Personally, I am especially excited about welcoming Yuja Wang for her Middle East debut, a pianist of extraordinary virtuosity and charisma, as well as Jon Batiste, a global music star whose work transcends genres,” he added of the Chinese-born American pianist and US musician, respectively.