Music

Meet the Women Behind MDLBEAST Soundstorm

BYMille Team

December 5, 2023

With a music scene that unfolded behind closed doors for over decades, where public events were banned in their entirety, Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning creative scene flourished in an underground world and was largely kept hidden until recently. Since 2016, the Kingdom has been undergoing an artistic renaissance of sorts, culminating in a thriving creative scene that continues to prosper. Following the establishment of the country’s General Entertainment Authority, these once private and underground events went public and Saudi Arabia’s presence has reverberated across the rest of the world.

In 2019, the Kingdom fully established itself on the global stage within the music industry with the launch of MDLBEAST Soundstorm, an annual music festival that brought together both regional and international musicians and DJ’s. Finally, the abundance of creativity that used to unfold in the dark was given a platform to flourish. Today, Soundstorm has become a cultural catalyst for Saudi youth, welcoming new forms of creative expression within the country.

Among the number of key people who have played a pivotal role in bringing the festival to life and re-shaping the narrative within the Gulf country is a handful of exceptional women, who since Soundstorm’s inception, have helped define it. Ahead of the 2023 edition, taking place in Riyadh’s BanBan desert from Dec. 14 to 16, familiarize yourself with the female leaders working behind-the-scenes to create a thriving future for music in Saudi.

Yasmine Rasool

XP Music Futures Head of Programing

Yasmine Rasool acts as one of the key figures who carefully curated the dynamic list of speakers and key music industry leaders from across the globe to the MENA region. With an immense passion for the music, and the creative industry as a whole, she is an active member in the cultural scene in the Kingdom, UAE, London, and New York. Rasool’s vision has helped shape XP Music Features, while her belief in creative endeavors sees itself extend into a creative platform that many have come across on social media, WAASTAA. With her love for storytelling, the platform celebrates a plethora of creatives from our region, giving their work a platform and a place to be discovered.

Munira AlMuammar

MDLBEAST’s Product Manager

With a passion for music, Munira AlMuammar stands out as a versatile professional and entrepreneur, boasting a rich reservoir of expertise in operations, product management, and digital transformation. Her extensive career spans various industries, ranging from health insurance to entertainment, where she has consistently spearheaded strategic initiatives.

In recent times, AlMuammar has left an indelible mark by founding the record label at MDLBEAST, a significant player in the global entertainment landscape, by amplifying the unseen, and supporting and nurturing local talents. Presently, she serves as the leader of operations and strategies for the WTR sub-label, MDLBEAST Records, which serves as a hub for ethereal and organic house music. With an unyielding commitment to enrich and contribute to the thriving music industry in the Kingdom, she emerges as a key driving force in propelling the electronic dance scene in the MENA region to new heights.

Rawan Alfas

A&R Manager MDLBEAST Records

Apart from being an A&R Manager, what makes Rawan Alfas’s vision evermore special is creative scope. With a background as a gemologist and jewelry designer, she’s got an eye for detail and a knack for spotting hidden gems. That goes to say that Alfas is constantly on the lookout for discovering and developing emerging talent coming out of the region. She was the first product manager for hip-hop, pop, and indie genres and helped launch Saudi rapper Moayad Alanufaie’s career. She has since grown the hip-hop roster by signing key regional artists, bringing the label to the major leagues.

MDLBEAST Soundstorm

Meet the Women Behind MDLBEAST Soundstorm

Yasmine Rasool

Munira AlMuammar

Rawan Alfas

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Meet the Women Behind MDLBEAST Soundstorm

Yasmine Rasool

Munira AlMuammar

Rawan Alfas

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