Muscat – A cultural symposium titled ‘Music, Artificial Intelligence and Modern Technologies’ was held on Monday at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex for Culture and Entertainment in Salalah, as part of the Omani Song Festival.

The event, organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, gathered officials and enthusiasts from literary, cultural, and artistic fields.

Dr Ahmed bin Mohsen al Ghassani, chairman of Dhofar Municipality, inaugurated the symposium, which featured three insightful presentations.

The first presentation – ‘Music and Singing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Induction and Foresight’ – was delivered by Dr Salim Dada. He explored how AI is shaping the future of music and singing, addressing challenges related to lyrics, composition and folk arts.

Dr Wael Haddad presented the second paper, which focused on the impact of AI on Arabic and traditional music. He discussed how AI influences the characteristics, production methods, and preservation of this genre.

The third presentation, ‘An Omani Musical Band Using AI Technology’, was given by Dr Iman al Harrasi. She showcased a virtual music band made up of digital characters capable of performing traditional Omani tunes using advanced technology. Iman detailed her process, from collecting audio data and training the model to the final sound.