Mamdouh Saif is one of the most popular Arabic music composers. The 52-year-old, born in Saudi Arabia, is a composer, pianist and music producer. He rose to fame through his partnership with Abdulmajeed Abdullah in 1990, when Saif became the keyboard player for the singer. In 1994, he composed for Abdullah for the first time, and since then he has acted as a producer, artistic supervisor and music consultant. In 2005, Saif visited India and said it changed his view on life. He launched his solo career in 2006, and furthered his studies at the Berklee College of Music in the US. Some of Mamdouh’s most popular works include Ya taib Algalb (1996) and “Harmony” (2014). He has also composed an album to accompany a science-fiction novel written by Ahmad Al-Aidroos, with each piece of music accompanying a specific part of the literature. Recently, the Ministry of Culture’s Quality of Life Program announced it will set up academies, including two in the next two years, offering academic qualifications and enlarging the Kingdom’s footprint in heritage, arts and crafts, and music. The composer called these music academies “the core of music production and talent development in Saudi Arabia,” adding that the music industry was a large and diverse field and education in it was crucial.