RIYADH — The Music Authority, an affiliate of the Ministry of Culture, launched a virtual training program for the music industry, on March 30, 2021, which includes education and training in a number of music specializations for Saudi talents, providing them with the necessary cognitive skills, and creating new music career paths in the Kingdom. Registration in the program began on March 30 and continues until June 20, 2021, via the electronic link: https://engage.moc.gov.sa/sanaa/. At the start, the program will target 500 beneficiaries, and by 2030, demand is expected to exceed 29,000, which confirms that the market is promising and opportunities are ripe for developing the sector, the CEO of the Music Authority, Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al-Melhem asserted, speaking to SPA. The virtual training program for the music industry includes short courses for distance training and education in cooperation with some of the most prestigious international music institutes and schools, in educational tracks that include acoustic engineering, operating studios, music coordination, and management of musicians’ works and events. The Music Authority will work on signing agreements with major companies specialized in the field of music in the Kingdom, so as to provide practical application for the trainees graduating from the program. Al-Melhem explained that the program has come to contribute to bridging a knowledge gap needed by the music sector in the Kingdom. Al-Melhem extended his thanks to Prince Badr Bin Abdullah Bin Farhan Al Saud, minister of culture and chairman of the Board of Directors of the Music Authority, for the continuous support and empowerment of education projects in the fields of culture and arts. He also thanked him for his keenness to make "education first" for the advancement of musical arts in the Kingdom. He added that interest in education is a fundamental pillar for the development of the music industry, especially in "our country that is rich in creative talents in all musical disciplines." Registration in the program is available to all who wish to study the four majors provided by the program, on condition that the applicant is a Saudi national and is fluent in the English language, Al-Melhem stated. He said that the program will provide an opportunity for training and education of 500 beneficiaries, who will receive a virtual training program for specializations that assist the music sector, stressing the importance of the program, as studies indicate a widening gap between demand and supply in the music sector market.