Beatport Presents IMS Dubai 2025
The second edition of Beatport Presents IMS Dubai concluded last week with a sold-out audience and a 55% increase in attendance year-on-year, drawing delegates and speakers from 47 countries. Held at 25hours Hotel Dubai One Central, the summit delivered 48 sessions across two stages, reinforcing the region’s weight and influence in the global electronic music industry.
Hosted by Pete Tong and Nooriyah, the summit presented a packed agenda across two days, with speakers including industry leaders from Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, Sony Music Publishing, MDLBEAST, IFPI and SceneNoise who were joined by respected artists including Nicole Moudaber, HUGEL, Bedouin, Rolbac, DJ Habibeats and Josh Baker.
A recurring theme across the program was the shift from individual scenes to a coordinated regional industry.
As Mohamed Elsokkary of MDLBEAST Records said, “Before, we just had parties and self-releases. Now there is an industry being built… collaboration, infrastructure and vision all matter, because this is the foundation for what comes next.”
In ‘Get Played, Get Paid Part 2: Royalties in the Middle East presented by AFEM: Association for Electronic Music, Finlay Johnson, CEO of AFEM, highlighted a key opportunity for the region: “We can create a fair and equitable structure that doesn’t carry the baggage of older markets… an ecosystem that reflects the future, not the past.”
Music Nation Chairwoman Rasha Khalifa Al Mubarak emphasised the need to convert creative momentum into sustainable value in an inspiring keynote address: “If we want a thriving creative economy, we need to make sure applause turns into equity and passion turns into prosperity.”
This year’s program examined cultural, economic and artistic shifts across the region, with key sessions including:
- The Past, Present & Future of MENA Nightlife presented by SceneNoise
- Going Against the Grain: Trailblazers of SWANA’s Underground Sound
- No Scene Without the Scene: Investing in Grassroots for Long-Term Impact
- Market Focus: Lebanon
- Diaspora: Arab Music Around the World
- The Habibification of House Music presented by Dazed ME
- AI in Music Production: Promise vs Pitfalls presented by Beatport Connect
Across these discussions, the conversation consistently returned to agency, ownership and cultural authorship. Writer Mai El Mokadem summarised this shift:
“Representation used to be the goal. Now it feels like we’re asking for something deeper; agency, ownership, infrastructure.”
Artist DJ Habibeats captured the change happening on the ground: “There are so many more Arabs in music, in positions of power – booking, labels, DJs, producers, artists – more than I’ve ever seen before.”
Artist Misty spoke to both the responsibility and the reality of this moment: “When you go out into the world, you carry your community with you. And when you return home, you empower that community with the knowledge you gained.” Later adding, “We’re not part of Arab Artists Rising. We have risen.” A powerful message and a key theme emerging throughout the summit.
The summit continued into evenings across the city, with an official pre-party at Reunion featuring Nicole Moudaber, events at Ushuaïa Dubai Harbour Experience, Surf Club, Be Beach, Monkey Bar, Helipad, plus a Beatport Live IMS Dubai showcase featuring Gawdat, Special Guest ROLBAC, Misty, Keena and A.M.R with a Beatport Live sunset sessions closing day two of the summit with DJ Habibieats, Vanco, Megatronic, Fairplay, neighboursbymusic b2b Farsa.
Roberta Hickey, Director of MENA at Beatport, captured the broader direction: “The energy, the talent, the passion is undeniable. And we see this as just the very start of a long journey.”
This year’s summit not only highlighted the ambition, creativity, and innovation shaping the region but also underscored the collective drive to push the culture forward. The 2025 edition made one point clear: the region is no longer building credibility, it is building infrastructure, alliances and long-term cultural and economic foundations. Its impact is not emerging; it is established, visible and accelerating.