Mideast: Dubai Hosts The International Music Summit
David Rodrigo
The International Music Summit is a “global thought-leadership platform” founded by some of the biggest names in Electronic Music. Every April, artists, producers, industry leaders, journalists, managers, and other interested parties meet in Ibiza to discuss pertinent issues and determine new alignments and directions for the industry. Since 2007, they have come together in annual meetings, listened to each other’s insights at conferences, and built connections through shared experiences.
This November, the event was hosted in Dubai for the first time in the IMS’ history. Founder and legendary music producer Pete Tong said they chose Dubai because the Emirati city is “to become…a major player in the entertainment industry.” He mentioned that having frequently come to Dubai as a performer and creative over the last many years, he has watched it adapt into a major hub for music and culture.
In a recent article for Modern Treatise, I discussed the UAE’s aggressive development in the last fifty years. I was mostly focused on economics and government, but the same is true in the arts, culture, and entertainment sphere. Dubai's massive hotel industry, which includes some of the most expensive and popular luxury vacation destinations in the world, attracts premier hospitality corporations. These companies, owned by Emiratis and foreigners alike, have also built theatres, restaurants, nightclubs, and other entertainment attractions.
The International Music Summit is particularly interesting for its genre: electronic dance music (EDM). EDM and its many sub-genres, such as house, techno, dubstep, etc., are associated with cities like Berlin, Detroit, or Ibiza. EDM is most often associated with party culture, nightlife, intoxication, and revelry. These themes are incongruous with the Western orthodox view of Arab culture.
Dubai’s hosting of the Summit at their W hotel indicates two things about this Western conception of Arabs: firstly, Arab culture is not what Americans and Europeans think it is; secondly, Dubai wants to demonstrate how much is missing in foreign conceptions of Arab culture. Dubai is home to 3.5 million residents, however, in 2022, 14.4 million international tourists visited the city. Their international perception is vital to their economic success.
Creative industries generated 2.6 percent of Dubai’s GDP in 2020 but they hope to increase that figure to 5 percent in 2026. Hosting events where artists and promoters can get together is the next step in this process. Dubai is on the way to becoming a capital for EDM fans.
The Summit took place over two days and featured keynote interviews, expert addresses, networking, and parties. The speaker list and notable invite list was long and made up of celebrated artists from around the world. Speakers included founder and industry legend Pete Tong, DJ and producer N1NJA, director at Mixmag MENA Onur Antes, entrepeneur Rania El Sadek, creator Timmy Mowafi, and more. These folks represent some of the Middle Eastern vanguard for club music.
One highlight of the Summit was its focus on women in the music industry worldwide and in the MENA region particularly. Little Pink Book, an organization founded in the UK to promote women in music and entertainment, has recently expanded to the UAE and mentioned its goals to activate within Saudi Arabia too. Little Pink Book’s founder, now based in Dubai, hosted a conversation on the evolving role of women in Dubai’s music scene, and in the region more broadly.
The Summit has announced they are going to host an IMS Dubai 2025 event as well and it appears to be growing into an annual occurrence. It is evidence of the diverse cultural representation and the true cosmopolitan nature of Dubai and the UAE’s major cities. Events such as an international club music summit, normally hosted in Ibiza, reveals the cultural influence of European and American cities on Dubai. However, it also challenges the idea that the differences between “Western” cities and Middle Eastern cities are insurmountable. The world seems to be growing smaller. Sub-cultures, like the EDM scene, can take root anywhere and more countries and cities are encouraged to invite these sub-cultures for tourism and diversity purposes. Dubai continues to succeed in its mission of pluralism and the IMS is proof.
