Salem Al Hendi: Transforming Rotana Music Group & Imprinting a Lasting Impact on the Entertainment Industry
Salem Al Hendi is a highly accomplished leader who serves as Chairman and CEO of Rotana Music Group, a prominent entertainment company in the Middle East. Renowned for its significant contributions to the music and audiovisual industry in the region, Rotana Music Group has flourished under his leadership, achieving numerous milestones and reinforcing its status as a leading entertainment powerhouse. Since taking the helm, Salem Al Hendi has been instrumental in shaping the company’s strategic direction and chalking up a glorious run of its success. His visionary approach and strong business acumen have propelled Rotana Music Group to new heights, expanding its reach and influence across the Arab world, leading Rotana to hold the largest Arabic music repertoire in the world and establishing itself as the top record label in producing and distributing Arabic music content in the local and global market. Salem Al Hendi’s leadership has also been pivotal in fostering a thriving environment for artists, nurturing talent, and providing a platform for Arab musicians to showcase their work. The company has been instrumental in discovering and promoting emerging artists and supporting established names in the music industry.
Rotana Music Group is a captivating universe where artists, creatives, and visionaries combine with an unwavering passion for music creation, media and entertainment. It is a realm where every facet of the entertainment industry is embraced, nurtured, and brilliantly brought to life. Within Rotana’s realm, creativity knows no bounds as it constantly pushes boundaries and explores new horizons. From mesmerizing events creation to soul-stirring music and captivating media and content, Rotana Music Group is the epitome of artistic excellence.
The Transformative Growth of Rotana Music Group
Salem Al Hendi’s leadership has been a driving force behind the transformative growth of Rotana Music Group through his unwavering commitment to innovation and technology. He has embraced digital platforms and pioneered new avenues for music distribution and consumption, ensuring that Rotana Music Group remains at the forefront of the industry’s evolving landscape. Recognizing the importance of digital platforms, Salem Al Hendi has spearheaded initiatives that embrace new avenues for music distribution and consumption. Under his leadership, Rotana Music Group has successfully expanded its digital marketing and distribution strategies, ensuring a strong presence on major global digital service providers (DSPs) like YouTube Music, Spotify, Deezer, and Anghami.
Salem Al Hendi’s strategic vision extends beyond digital innovation. Leveraging his extensive connections within the government and private sectors, he has played a pivotal role in elevating Rotana Music Group’s presence in the live events arena. Over the past decades, the company has become a leader in organizing some of the largest Arabic concerts and music festivals across the MENA region and the Arab world. Through Salem Al Hendi’s efforts, Rotana Music Group has hosted major events in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and global cities like London and Paris. This broad reach has cemented the company’s reputation as a dominant force in the music industry regionally and internationally.
Salem Al Hendi is deeply involved in organizing and partnering with major music festivals in the Arab world, such as: Riyadh season, KSA National Day events, Jeddah seasons, Al-Jenadriyah festival, Saudi Founding Day, Al Ula festival, Bahrain National Day, Qatar World Cup events, February Kuwait festival, Layali Dubai, Carthage festival, and many more. In addition to his achievements within the entertainment industry, Salem Al Hendi has been actively involved in various philanthropic initiatives. He recognizes the importance of giving back to society and has championed projects that support education, healthcare, and social welfare programs.
Fuelling the Company’s Growth & CEO’s Signature Achievements
Salem Al Hendi’s excellent leadership instinct and management skills have contributed to building and developing a strong homogeneous team within all branches and departments of the company enabling it to produce and distribute more than 400 music releases in addition to over 100 music concerts and festivals annually, while utilizing his high level and broad connections network with public figures in the political, artistic and social circles on the regional and global levels to reinforce the company’s position as a leader in its field while working with top government sectors in KSA, GCC, and MENA, such as the General Entertainment Authorities, Ministries of Culture, Ministries of Tourism, Dubai / Bahrain / Qatar / Kuwait, and more.
Salem Al Hendi’s exceptional managerial and diplomatic skills helped in building business relationships, negotiating, and concluding agreements that resulted in acquiring, producing, and distributing the largest existing Arabic music catalogue for Rotana Music Group, working with star artists from all over the GCC and MENA. Additionally, he organized and executed large-scale music festivals and concerts and positioned the company as a music and events management pioneer. His long and wide experience in the music field has made him a public figure and an essential and solid reference and influencer in his field. The outstanding work of Salem Al Hendi has been recognized with numerous awards, medals, and honours certificates in various fields and from iconic figures from politics, the arts, media, and the literature industry, including the Joy Awards 2023. He has also received the Honorary “Entertainment Creator Award” from His Excellency Turki Al Alsheikh in KSA/Riyadh.
About Salem Al Hendi – The Visionary Mastermind
Salem Al Hendi was born in Kuwait and holds a bachelor’s degree in law. He embarked on his professional journey in the 1980s by organizing concerts and festivals across various Arabic and European countries. In 1989, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish a company in partnership with the famous Kuwaiti artist Abduallah Rowished, marking the beginning of a remarkable career in the entertainment business. In 1995, Salem Al Hendi joined Rotana Media Group as the Director of its Dubai branch. His impact was immediate, and by 2000, he was promoted to General Manager of Artistic Affairs for the group. His keen understanding of the industry and ability to foster strong relationships quickly elevated him within the company. By 2006, Salem Al Hendi’s leadership and visionary approach caught the attention of HRH Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal Al Saud, who appointed him as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rotana Holding. Concurrently, he was named President of Rotana Audio Visual, now known as Rotana Music Group, before ultimately ascending to Chairman and CEO.
Main Goal for the Next Year
Salem Al Hendi’s goal for the coming year is to stretch his commitment to innovation and technology, which is instrumental in steering Rotana Music Group’s growth. He envisions expanding digital music production and distribution through all existing digital channels and DSPs and pioneering new revenue streams in music distribution and consumption to ensure that Rotana remains at the forefront of the industry’s evolving landscape. Furthermore, Salem Al Hendi plans to keep shaping the company’s success through his commitment to keep scouting to find new Arab talents starting from the GCC to all over MENA to maintain a series of successful and booming music production releases while organizing and executing remarkable concerts and festivals to maintain leadership in the field of music industry and events management.
