Amid social changes, the musical instrument market is booming in Saudi Arabia

When he was 15 years old, Muhammad Al-Muhanna had to hide the oud he bought from the market while he was on his way home to avoid difficulties and troubles, he says.

Music, entertainment and other forms of art and tools were not welcome at the time.

But now, eight years after that moment, the 23-year-old sits in a market that sells guitar, oud, violin, and electric musical instruments, testing the new oud without hesitation while the sound of music travels outside the store.

Rapid social changes during the reign of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - including the lifting of the ban on women driving, gender mixing and public entertainment - have allowed professions and other Saudis to show their passion in recent years.

Al-Muhanna said - he is an oud player and a customer in the market - when I was 15 years old i.e. eight years ago I had to hide the oud so that no one would see me, now after the opening many things have changed, we are singing in restaurants, public places, parks, etc. In all comfort.

It is now possible to see Saudis of all age groups searching for musical instruments in the oldest market for these instruments in Riyadh.

This shift was also positive for musical instrument store owners, whose sales increased and their business prospered.

Ahmed Youssef Abdullah (salesman of musical instruments) said there was no previous turnout, and people were apprehensive, but now there is a strong openness from the Saudis and other nationalities, and there is a demand for guitar, violin, oud and the rest of the instruments, especially with the Riyadh entertainment season.

In 2016, the Saudi government launched the General Entertainment Authority, as part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's 2030 vision, to sponsor concerts and offer entertainment options to Saudis, who used to travel abroad to see performances.

Abdullah al-Malki (a player in the Oriental Nights band) said, "We used to be conservative in the past, and we did not play in front of the public or in the market. Now young, young and old people play and live art."