News

AI In The Music Industry: A Blessing Or A Curse?

Emdee Jabr, Senior Music Producer at Anghami believes the technology can improve workflows, but cautions the replacement of human creativity.

Published

3 years ago

March 13, 2024

Nour Nasir

ai in the music industry a blessing or a curse

During Riyadh’s recent XP Music Futures conference, delegates and industry thought leaders delved into some fascinating discussions surrounding the future of music production. Of particular interest was the topic of artificial intelligence and how AI tools could be integrated into the creative process of music production in new and innovative ways.

One notable attendee of XP Music Futures was Emdee Jabr, Senior Music Producer at Anghami. The industry professional has over a decade of experience and recently shared his thoughts on the emergence of artificial intelligence technology within the music industry.

Emdee believes that although AI can offer unique possibilities for musicians and producers, such as automated composition and intelligent sound processing, it lacks emotional depth. However, the Anghami producer does acknowledge that AI can significantly accelerate production workflows.

“[AI can help by] automating tasks, improving efficiency, and providing data-driven insights. However, it faces challenges in replicating human creativity, making it crucial to strike a balance between automation and human intuition to achieve a successful and innovative outcome”.

Although it’s clear that AI can work as a powerful production assistant, it seems to Emdee and other professionals that its full integration into the creative process is still very much a work in progress. The technology also raises several legitimate concerns.

Also Read: Best Music Streaming Services In The Middle East

“On the negative side of AI, concerns arise regarding job displacement, potential homogenization of artistic expression, and the risk of over-reliance on technology, potentially diluting the human touch and intuition in art. The key is finding a balance that maximizes the benefits while preserving the unique aspects of human creativity”.

As a music producer, it’s clear that Emdee Jabr sees AI as a tool still in its beginning stages. The producer is keen to emphasize the importance of utilizing human creativity and using AI for inspiration rather than entirely replacing songwriters, musicians, and producers.

News

NEOPAY Wants To Follow Merchants Across Channels And Borders

A controlling 65% stake in noon payments would give NEOPAY access to marketplace sellers, online merchants and the payment flows they generate.

Published

1 day ago

October 5, 2026

Nour Nasir

neopay wants to follow merchants across channels and borders

It’s been a long time since checkouts were single defined places. A merchant might take payments at a physical register, on its own website and through an online marketplace, sometimes in more than one country. NEOPAY wants to follow those transactions wherever they happen.

The UAE payments company has entered into an agreement to acquire a 65% controlling stake in noon payments. NEOPAY already runs the acquiring infrastructure that lets merchants accept card payments, along with omnichannel acceptance and a merchant services platform. This new deal would add noon payments’ embedded payments platform, e-commerce gateway and merchant network across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. That would considerably expand both NEOPAY’s digital commerce capabilities and its regional reach.

For merchants, the attraction is a single provider for online and in-store payments, plus faster settlements, data and analytics, and value-added financial services.

“Payments should be simple, reliable, and built for the markets they serve,” said Faraz Khalid, CEO of noon. His counterpart at NEOPAY, Vibhor Mundhada, added: “We have built a strong payments business in the UAE, and our ambition is now to take that capability across the region”. The acquisition, Mundhada added, would “expand our footprint into Saudi Arabia and Egypt” while reinforcing NEOPAY’s position at home.

Also Read: In Kuwait, Your Surgeon Might Be Operating From Another Country

NEOPAY is also keen to point out potential payment volume increases. The company says noon payments’ integrations with marketplace sellers and online merchants create high transaction density in some of the region’s fastest-growing digital commerce segments. It also believes control of the business would give it access to those merchant relationships and payment flows, and speed up the rollout of alternative payment methods and installment options.

The combined roadmap targets faster merchant onboarding, better payment performance, tighter fraud controls and embedded financial services. The deal could also strengthen cross-border payments and settlement along key regional commerce corridors.