Music

Inside Saudi’s Music Renaissance: 7 DJs You Need to Know

BYYassine Hariss

November 25, 2025

There was a time not long ago when music in Saudi Arabia, especially DJing, never found much room in the conservative Kingdom. But since the country’s entertainment landscape cracked open, a whole scene managed to find its footing and turn a place that once had little space for sound into one of the region’s busiest breeding grounds for DJs, producers, you name it.

Today, the country stands as a recognized hub with enough events and festivals to sustain its own ecosystem and keep its artists booked and busy. Thanks to initiatives like MDLBeast, a whole generation of music makers are now stepping forward, and building careers that would have been impossible years ago. Starting from underground gatherings and online mixes, Saudi disc jockeys have, in a matter of years, managed to scale up and move to packed venues that once felt impossible, out of reach, and even unthinkable in a place where music culture was once discouraged.

Amidst this cultural, sonic, call it whatever, reset, below, we compiled a non-exhaustive list of five DJs leading the charge and making sure that their home country never slips back to silence ever again.

Cosmicat

Arguably one of the most popular DJs the Kingdom can proudly claim, Cosmicat is one of the main acts behind Saudi’s electronic rise. A former dentist, the ex-doctor has performed in more places than we can count, from Mikasa in Ibiza to Fabric in London, and of course at Riyadh’s Sandstorm.

Dish Dash

Brothers behind the decks as they are in real life, Hassan and Abbas Ghazzawi — better known as Dish Dash — are some of the country’s earliest electronic disruptors. Based out of Jeddah, they have organized some of Saudi Arabia’s first DJ-centred gigs. Often seen headlining MDLBEAST-sponsored events, over time, their longevity earned them the title of anchors of the scene as their country built an industry that matched the groundwork they laid years ago.

Hatoon Idrees

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Versatile by nature, beyond decks, Idrees has, over the years, built a profile that stretches across production, live performance, and management. A talented oud player as well as a renowned selector in her native Saudi, she’s become one of the scene’s most reliable multi-hyphenates, regularly seen mixing, remixing, or joining other artists onstage as the scene continues to grow.

Omar Basaad

The first Saudi to ever perform at Tomorrowland, Basaad is one of the Kingdom’s earliest breakout talents. The producer-DJ who helped put the country on the map long before its scene had the venues, backing, or industry machinery it has now, is credited with allegedly producing the first Arab dubstep track on Beatport. The Jeddah-born artist is undeniably part of the blueprint of the Gulf’s electronic movement as it exists today.

Kayan

A violinist as much as a DJ, Kayan’s understanding of music runs deep. Blending both worlds, the Saudi National Orchestra member has become one of the most in-demand acts of the moment— touring, recording, and performing wherever her range is needed, whether she’s holding a bow or spinning a deck.

Vinyl Mode

A disc spinner, a mood-setter, as well as a song selector, Vinyl Mode is also considered as one of Saudi’s foundational DJs — a pillar of the early scene who helped define its sound before it had the infrastructure to catch up. With over a decade of experience, he’s stayed consistent through every phase of the country’s sonic shift, adamantly a reason why he’s still considered a reference point for anyone trying to understand how the scene took shape.

Baloo

Baloo is one of the OGs, spinning since the mid-late 1990s and now serving as MDLBEAST’s Chief Creative Officer. A veteran with experience his counterparts can only envy, his fingerprints are all over Saudi’s music scene, from electro, to house, and beyond.