Moiz Rehman, a musician from Jeddah, has been a self-taught music instructor since 2011. He plays guitar, bass and various percussion instruments. “I have mentored various local musicians with their work and refining their musicality over the years,” he said.
“I think the initiative is outstanding and rather long overdue. There is an abundance of musical talent in the Kingdom. The targeted demographic is ready for it, and this, in the long term, will bring about significant cultural and socio-economic change and progress.”
One of the crucial things about such an institution is that it would inform and educate musicians on two key aspects of their musical aspirations, said Rehman. “The first of which would be performance, which mainly includes building and practicing their craft. Second, the business and commercial side of it, which, to put it briefly, involves getting your craft out there, promoting and driving an income out of it.”
Aseel Ashary, who is interested in music and writing, told Arab News that everyone needs music in their lives. “The fact that there were no music institutes in Saudi Arabia was really devastating, so I had to learn through YouTube tutorials and it was not always as good as having an instructor.”
She expressed her thrill at the announcement, and hopes institute prices would be reasonable and affordable for the public. “I would love to have the experience of learning and understanding music better,” she said.
Through the decision, the Ministry of Culture aims to empower and support Saudi talents, and develop cultural and artistic capabilities to enrich the industry by creating educational and training opportunities in various creative disciplines in accordance with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
The platform will later provide several services which provide applicants with information on how to obtain licenses and permits, and the procedures and requirements necessary to complete requests.