RIYADH: The women-led music initiative, Hunna, has launched its 2025 mentorship program and workshop series.
Now in its third year, the program connects women across the region with mentors, resources and networks to help them grow professionally. It has more than 120 members from Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and elsewhere.
This year’s program began in July, with six participants paired with professionals from various musical disciplines. They will each receive monthly one-on-one mentorship and tailored development plans as well as access to Hunna’s wider programming.
The culmination of their hard work will be a showcase at this year’s XP Music Futures in December.
Mentorship program manager Nadia Khan, who also founded the nongovernmental organization Women in Ctrl, said: “This year’s mentor-mentee pairings reflect the diversity of talent in the region and the global reach of the women guiding them.
“Having such inspirational and accomplished mentors means our mentees aren’t just receiving guidance, they’re learning directly from women who have carved their own paths in music, broken barriers and proven that it’s possible to thrive while staying true to your vision.”
This year’s pairings are: Tunisia-based Chaima Soudani with Celine Hitti, head of artist services MENA at Believe; singer Nadine Lingawi (Fulana) with Emmy-nominated composer and BBC Radio 3 presenter Hannah Peel; Egyptian multi-instrumentalist and producer Martina Ashraf with Montreal-based experimental electronic artist Liliane Chlela; Saudi composer and pianist Nora Aljebrin with Nadin Al-Khalidi, lead vocalist of Tarabband; DJ and producer Lena Chercaoui with Saudi DJ and producer Cosmicat; and Palestinian-Jordanian vocalist Lina Sleibi with singer-songwriter and visual creative Lina Makoul.
The pairings were chosen through an anonymized selection process led by Hunna committee members and former participants.
“Hunna is about creating a space of solidarity and community where women can grow in every part of the music industry,” Hitti said.
Al-Khalidi said: “I joined the Hunna mentorship program to share my journey and inspire others to tell their own stories through music.”
Workshops are a core part of the program. The first, “Introduction to Music Production,” will be held on Aug. 20 at Beast House in Riyadh.
Monthly sessions through November will cover production, live performance, artist strategy and global positioning. They will be accessible to all members of the Hunna community.
Tanya Awad, head of music and experience at XP Music Futures and MDLBeast Foundation, which leads the Hunna initiative, said: “Our vision is clear: to see MENA women in every facet of the music industry.”
