MDLBEAST Soundstorm and Saudi Arabia’s Live-music Economy: The Investment Case With Real Momentum

The investment case is not only about ticketed moments. MDLBEAST, founded in 2019 by CEO Ramadan Alharatani and COO Talal Albahiti, has expanded into a multi-vertical platform that includes a record label, artist management, the XP Music Futures industry conference, a 24-hour radio station, hospitality offerings anchored by Beast House and the Pool Club, and an advisory unit that consults non-music companies on embedding music into brands. Brunswick Review notes that the first Soundstorm edition arrived in 2019, three years after the creation of the General Entertainment Authority opened the public sphere to commercial entertainment. Rolling Stone MENA also frames the operating model as ecosystem building, and notes that delivering Soundstorm requires thousands of people working in sync.

Why the Region’s Growth Rates Matter to Saudi’s Live-Music Strategy

Regional market signals help explain why global touring and business attention are rising. Both Brunswick Review and Music Business Worldwide cite IFPI reporting that the Middle East and North Africa was the fastest-growing recorded music region in 2024, with revenue up over 22% year-on-year; Music Business Worldwide specifies a 22.8% YoY increase. Music Business Worldwide also reports that streaming accounted for 99.5% of total recorded-music revenues in MENA, aligning the market with digitally driven discovery and fan conversion. Brunswick Review adds that global tours now schedule five or six regional stops where they previously included none, providing a stronger touring “route map” context for Riyadh-based mega-events and for Saudi artists sharing lineups with international acts at home.

MDLBEAST has also used XP Music Futures as a deal-making and talent-discovery layer around the festival halo. In December 2025, Music Business Worldwide reported XP’s largest programming slate to date: 101 sessions, 20 workshops, and 284 speakers from 39 nations. It also reported that XP’s NITE program featured 203 artists across 113 acts representing 38 countries. MDLBEAST’s Nada Alhelabi described how the attendee mix has expanded from mostly regional insiders to include global labels, tech founders, festival operators, policymakers, managers, and creators. This format links daytime industry activity with nighttime showcases, making the conference part of the broader pipeline that supports festival programming and longer-term market confidence.

At the country level, event infrastructure and destination programming are becoming explicit investment themes. Custom Market Insights states that stadiums and arenas are projected to have the highest CAGR of 15.2% during 2026–2035, citing investment in world-class facilities to host sports, concerts, and mega events, and it lists MDLBEAST among key players in the Saudi entertainment and events market. The same source notes that Soundstorm 2024 included 200+ artists on 8 stages and drew international attendees from 73 countries. It also reports that in February 2025, Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN) obtained SAR 8.5 billion in financing through the Public Investment Fund to build 21 entertainment centers in 14 cities to generate 35,000 jobs, aiming for 45 million visitors annually by 2028. For MDLBEAST and Soundstorm, Arab News positions the strategy as building “long-term economic and social value,” including job creation, attracting international talent, and investing in training, production support, and creative development beyond the festival weekend.