Princess  Mashael  Alshalan discusses the role of music in promoting climate action at XP Music Futures Conference 2023 in Riyadh

Her Highness Princess Mashael Alshalan, co-founder of AEON Collective, participates in the XP Music Futures 2023 conference organized by MDLBEAST, the Saudi leading company in the music entertainment sector, in Riyadh from December 7 to 9, 2023.

Princess Mashael Alshalan will participate in a session titled “Sustainable Futures: Music for Climate Action” to discuss sustainable event planning, carbon emissions balancing, and the power of music to inspire environmental activity, exploring the intersection between music and climate action. The session will be attended by numerous global experts in the music industry and climate work.

Her Highness’s research mainly focuses on climate policy, global governance, carbon emissions, and the impacts of climate change.  She has participated in various international events and conferences, including side sessions at the United Nations Climate Change Conferences in Glasgow, Scotland in 2021 and Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt in 2022.

She also participated in the Sustainable Food Security Conference at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), alongside a panel of experts from the Kingdom and abroad The conference aimed to propose sustainable solutions for food security, discuss the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative, and address United Nations Sustainable Development objectives. She delivered opening remarks on charting collective pathways for environmental oversight and economic development.

In this year’s edition, XP Music Futures 2023 conference, unique in its kind, will attract the thriving community of creativity and innovation in the MENA region, combining industry leaders of the local, regional, and global music scenes.

Over its three-day agenda, the conference offers numerous interactive workshops and discussions about the music landscape in the region, alongside a multitude of night events.

Its goal is to broaden the scope for music industry professionals from diverse backgrounds, empowering artists, designers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to develop the music scene.

XP Music Futures 2023 conference is based on four core pillars addressing the nuanced differences within the music sector in  MENA and how it grows and thrives, focusing on impact, innovation, talent, and scene, all within a forward-looking vision for the development of the music sector in the Middle East.

Last year’s edition of the conference witnessed several constructive discussions and ideas for the development of the creative economy and music in the Kingdom. One of the highlights was the

participation of His Royal Highness Prince Ahmed bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Saham) in a special panel discussion titled “Intellectual Property Rights in Creative Industry.” HRH Saham highlighted the Kingdom’s distinctive role in preserving intellectual property rights, enabling talents to fully dedicate themselves to continue producing creative works that enhance the local and regional artistic and music scene.

The conference witnessed the participation of over 190 international, regional, and local speakers, marking a 10% increase compared to the 2021 edition. Qver three days, 76 sessions were held, representing a 58% increase from 2021. The sessions were distributed across the conference’s four pillars and featured significant participation from women, accounting for 52% of the total participants.  Additionally, more than 130 artists presented performances across seven different stages.