Tima Al Wahida: Spearheading an Artist-First Revolution

In an industry that often prizes control over collaboration, Tima Al Wahida is rewriting the script. The 29-year-old Lebanese music executive has built her career on a blend of sharp intuition, emotional intelligence, and a lifelong obsession with sound. “Music is where everything connects for me,” she tells Dazed MENA. “It’s where I make sense.”

Her path to music wasn’t linear, though. Before she began managing some of the Arab world’s most talented individuals, Tima worked across film, television, and production. She edited at Ma3azef, one of the region’s leading music platforms, and later joined the Palestinian collective BLTNM, where she learned the rhythms of the underground from the inside out. “I did a bit of everything—TV, film, production, music journalism,” she recalls. “I learned how stories are told in sound, image, and movement. Those experiences gave me the eye and instincts that inform my practice today.”

Now, as the founder of her eponymous new company Al Wahida, Tima is channelling those instincts into

artist management, creative direction, and executive production. Spanning the likes of Al Nather, Shabjdeed, Noel Kharman, and Toumba, her roster echoes her own uncompromising nature: artists whose work resists easy categorisation but speaks with conviction. “I’ve seen every corner of this industry, and I know how it works,” she reflects. “I might not fit in one box, but I know how to run the whole thing when I need to.”

What truly sets the trailblazing music executive apart isn’t her business acumen, but her belief in the creative as the centre of everything. “I’m an artist first and foremost,” asserts Tima. “I actually care about what the artist is trying to say, what they’re feeling, what they want the world to hear. And my job is to bring that out louder—to make their performances hit harder, and let their sound speak for itself.”

That philosophy runs deep in her approach; she’s not one for moulding or rebranding artists to fit industry expectations. “I don’t believe in changing artists or shaping them into something they’re not,” she says. “I pay attention to their strengths and vulnerabilities in order to help them reach the fullest version of who they are.”

The artists she works with are both her collaborators and her fuel. “Every time I’m in a room with someone like Al Nather or Shabjdeed, I’m reminded of how limitless creativity can be,” she shares. “Their talent, their drive, the way they see things pushes me to keep evolving. Every artist has their own world, and being able to step into that and understand it helps translate their vision into reality.”

As the Arab world’s music scene continues to reach new heights, Tima wants to see it evolve beyond trends. “I hope it matures to a point where it becomes truly about the music,” she continues. “Where artists are judged for their merit and talent, not their identity or image. I want us to give younger artists the space to succeed, and new sounds the chance to exist.”

These days, she’s deep in the rollout of Noel Kharman’s upcoming EP, which she’s executive producing and creatively directing. “Stepping into Noel’s world has been incredible,” she beams. “She’s excavating a surreal and emotional space with this project, and I can’t wait for people to hear it.” Tima is also gearing up for a tour next year as we speak.

Her vision, as she explains, is bigger than any one project or artist; it’s about building an ecosystem in which art can thrive on its own terms. “It’s always tough, especially when you’re trying to maintain independence,” she admits. “But I’ve always surrounded myself with talent. It’s the world I feel most alive in.”