Saudi Gazette Report

RIYADH — The Saudi Music Commission announced on Wednesday the appointment of Paul Pacifico as Chief Executive Officer of the commission. He will be responsible for developing the Kingdom’s music sector in line with the National Culture Strategy.

Pacifico will assume his new role at the commission from January 2023, continuing a brilliant career marked by extensive knowledge and experience in the fields of music creativity, entrepreneurship, policy, and education, the commission said in a press statement.

Over the past six years, Pacifico served as CEO of the UK-based Association of Independent Music (AIM), where he led the representation of the UK’s independent music sector including music entrepreneurs, independent labels, service companies, distributors, and artists.

During his time at AIM, Pacifico initiated the Music Climate Pact, developed with the support of the UN Environment Program, which brought together key industry leaders to take collective action to reduce the music sector’s greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate its contribution to global climate change, and ignite action on the climate crisis.

Prior to that, he was CEO of the UK’s Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) and the founding president of the International Artist Organization (IAO), working on uniting music artists' organizations from all over the world.

Pacifico is Associate Professor at Berklee’s campus in Valencia, Spain, and has served on the boards of English National Ballet, UK Music, Creative UK (formerly the Creative Industries Federation) and the Music Advisory Board of London’s Roundhouse, as well as international music organizations IMPALA (Europe) and the Worldwide Independent Network (‘WIN’).

In April this year, Pacifico was recognized as one of the top executives in the global music sector in Billboard’s 2022 International Power Players List. Commenting on his appointment, Pacifico said, “Time and time again, music has been shown to be a powerful and sustainable enabler across both cultural and commercial development. It is truly remarkable to see the level of support and the pace of change within Saudi Arabia as it builds a strong music sector for all to participate in. The opportunity to help in that journey is a huge privilege. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Music Commission to build a vibrant, inclusive, and effective music sector as a key part of the ongoing cultural transformation in the Kingdom, led by the Ministry of Culture.”

The Music Commission is one of 11 sector-specific commissions under the Ministry of Culture. It was launched in 2020 to oversee the development of the Kingdom’s music sector. The Commission aims to enrich the music sector in the Kingdom and develop its ecosystem by building world-class infrastructure, providing universal access to music education, empowering musical talent, creating job opportunities, and increasing the sector’s contribution to the economy.