MDLBEAST Foundation's HUNNA Program Wants to Find You and Help You Change the Industry

The 2026 mentorship program is open for applications, and if you are a woman in music in the MENA region, this one is worth your full attention.

There is a version of the music industry in this region that looks very different from the one that exists today. More women behind the decks, at the mixing boards, in the boardrooms, in the booking conversations. HUNNA has been working towards that version since day one and in 2026, it is moving faster than ever.

The MDLBEAST Foundation has officially opened applications for the HUNNA 2026 Mentorship Program, and this year the initiative is entering what feels like its most ambitious chapter yet. Not just a mentorship program anymore, but a full platform for education, advocacy, and structural change across the regional music ecosystem. Applications are open for both mentees and mentors, which means whether you are just finding your footing or you have been in the industry long enough to bring someone else up with you, there is a place for you here.

Since launching, HUNNA has supported over 100 women across the region through mentorship, leadership courses, and industry programming. The numbers matter, but what matters more is what those women are doing now. Alumni like Haya AlHejailan, now working as both an artist and a live booking manager, Nazli Reda who went on to become a live sound engineer, and Soumaya Laghiti, artist and songwriter, are not just success stories. They are proof that the program's model actually works and that when you give talented women in this region the right access and the right people in their corner, they go on to build careers that did not previously exist here.

The 2026 edition is also introducing something new: an educational hub designed to expand access to learning, mentorship and professional opportunities at every stage of a career. Think of it as a living resource that grows with its community, where this year's mentees become next year's mentors, and the network compounds over time.

Beyond the individual, HUNNA is also stepping into an advocacy role, working directly with organisations and industry stakeholders to push for better gender balance across events, teams and the broader music landscape. This is not just about creating opportunities for women within the existing system. It is about changing the system itself.

The program's core offer includes a mentorship program, masterclasses and workshops, exchange programs and residencies, and access to a growing regional network of artists and professionals. Past mentors have included Sarah El Miniawy, cultural strategist and founder of Simsara Music, Christina Lazic, DJ and producer, Salam Kmeid, senior executive at Anghami, and Celine Hitti, Head of Artist Services MENA at Believe, the kind of people who can actually open doors, not just talk about what is behind them.

The MENA music scene is at an inflection point. The infrastructure is being built in real time, and the decisions being made right now about who gets access, who gets credited, and who gets a seat at the table will shape what this industry looks like for the next decade. HUNNA understands that, and it is one of the few initiatives in the region doing something concrete about it.

If that sounds like something you want to be part of, applications are open now.

Apply at mdlbeastfoundation.com or follow the MDLBEAST Foundation on Instagram for updates.