As Saudi Arabia celebrates its 95th National Day, pride now carries a new resonance. Beyond flags and fireworks, sound itself has become a language of Saudi identity. No longer confined to background music, sonic identities have emerged as defining assets for brands, crafted by Saudi creatives blending heritage with modernity.

In Jeddah, Shada Hotel was among the first to embrace this shift. In 2020, it introduced its own sonic identity—an original composition that quickly struck a chord with guests and online audiences alike. Produced by Ali Al-Sharif and his team, the piece drew from the landscapes of Saudi Arabia’s southern region, weaving together natural sounds like rainfall and rustling grass with traditional rhythms such as al-Tarraq, layered over modern electronic textures. The result was more than a track; it was an experience evoking the sunrise over southern mountains—immersive, cultural, and unmistakably local. Shada Hotel proved that music can serve as identity, imprinting itself long after check-out.

Riyadh Air offers another example with its newly unveiled sonic brand, “Sound of a New Era.” Recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios, the piece merges oud and nay with Western orchestration, performed by the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir alongside musicians from 12 other countries. More than a soundtrack, it is a brand statement. As Riyadh Air readies for its official launch in 2025, the sound will travel with passengers from boarding to landing. For Osamah Alnuaiser, SVP of Marketing and Corporate Communications, it is “a symphony that reflects Saudi hospitality as it takes flight.”

On the global stage, Apple spotlighted Saudi artist Kali B for its Apple Store Online campaign in the Kingdom. His track “Ok Ok”—released five years ago—impressed Apple Music’s team with its bold, genre-blending energy. The campaign was paired with the “Hello KSA” playlist, showcasing rising names like Mishaal Tamer and Tamtam alongside icons such as Abdulmajid Abdullah and Rashed Al-Majed. For Kali B, the collaboration was deeply personal: “I’ve always wanted to represent a new sound coming out of Saudi—bold, authentic, and globally resonant,” he says.

Local brands are also joining the wave. Saudi coffee chain Half Million unveiled its own sonic identity this month, fusing rhythms from across the Kingdom: samri from the central region, basteh from the east, yenbawi from the west, and rafihi from the north. By turning sound into a cultural marker, Half Million showed how sonic branding goes beyond recall to build emotional bonds, anchoring identity in both memory and heritage, just as logos and colors do visually.