At 1001 Festival, UK-based DJ and producer Nooriyah delivered a genre-blurring, culturally rich set that fused her SWANA heritage with global club sounds - carving out space for connection, nostalgia, and a new kind of storytelling.

In a city that continues to cement its place in the global electronic scene, MDLBEAST’s A Thousand And One Festival launched with a clear ambition: to blend music and myth into an immersive, Arabian dreamscape. Held over two days at Riyadh’s Banban site, the festival transformed the desert into a multisensory world of symbolic stages – from lush oases to glittering golden souqs. But among the international and regional talent gracing the decks, one artist brought something that felt both grounded and generational.

 

Nooriyah, the Saudi-born, UK-based DJ and producer, performed at the festival as a returning local artist with global resonance. Her set – delivered with magnetic precision and heartfelt energy – was a moment of personal and cultural synergy. “Certain people in the crowd look at me, and we just know. We had the same childhood — same cartoons, same music videos on TV,” she reflects during our interview. “That sense of shared nostalgia… it’s powerful.”

 

Raised in Japan before settling in the UK, Nooriyah’s sound doesn’t sit neatly within any one framework. Her sets weave through Arabic classics, Jersey Club, Brazilian funk, and trap, with selections driven by instinct. “If it makes me do the stank face, it’s in,” she laughs. That visceral test is how she curates her musical archive — one that reflects both her upbringing and her deep love for rhythm.

While her style is high-octane and undeniably danceable, there’s a deeper thread running through everything Nooriyah does. Through her viral “Arabic Samples in Western Music” series, she’s spotlighted how deeply SWANA culture is embedded in global pop – often unnoticed or uncredited. “Sometimes it shocks people,” she explains. “Others already knew, but they’re reminded to ask, ‘Were the royalties paid?’ It’s about awareness.”

 

Her approach is clear-eyed but never heavy-handed. “The culture speaks for itself,” she says. “I’m just a vessel.”

 

That humility came through powerfully in her now-iconic Boiler Room debut, which featured her father performing live on the oud. “I grew up hearing him play in the bathroom — literally for the acoustics,” she says, smiling. “To have him on stage was special. No rehearsals — just presence.” It was a raw, intergenerational gesture that resonated widely.

When asked about the evolution of electronic festivals in the Middle East, Nooriyah is honest. “I think local artists deserve more shine,” she says. “And while that’s not unique to Saudi, events like this – when they make space – can help shift that.” She praises the curation at A Thousand And One, which placed local and regional acts alongside global names, creating a more balanced and representative lineup.

 

Her work extends beyond the booth. In 2022, she founded Middle of Nowhere, a London-based SWANA-focused collective aimed at amplifying underrepresented artists and perspectives. “It’s about creating platforms that reflect our sound and our stories,” she says. The collective’s name may suggest isolation, but its impact is anything but.

While Nooriyah is best known as a DJ, her aspirations stretch far beyond the dancefloor. “I’m working on a project right now focused on music supervision for film,” she shares. “I’d love to explore soundtracking — thinking more intentionally about how music shapes story.”

 

Even when she doesn’t speak directly to the crowd, Nooriyah is always communicating. “I’m very conscious of my selections,” she says. “Sometimes the music says more than I ever could. And just existing in this space — as an Arab woman — is political in itself.”

 

When it comes to legacy, she’s clear: “I want people to see that our sounds belong on the global stage. And I hope they leave my sets feeling like they forgot their worries for a while.”

Having recently ticked Coachella off her bucket list, Nooriyah is already thinking about the next step. “I’d love to do my own curated tour with live elements. Something that brings all my creative ideas together,” she says.

 

In the glowing, dust-filled air of A Thousand And One, that future didn’t feel far off. With each set, Nooriyah is making space — for heritage, for joy, and for a global music culture that truly listens.