WithFeeling Sinks Its Teeth Into FoodSphere Riyadh
15 April 2025
Dubai-based sonic branding agency, WithFeeling, lends its audio expertise to Riyadh’s newest immersive experience in food, FoodSphere, by creating an entire sonic identity including bespoke music, soundscapes, voiceovers, and sound effects.
Continuing to bolster its position as one of the leading names in sound across Saudi Arabia, Dubai-based sonic branding agency, WithFeeling, recently undertook the huge task of creating and implementing the entire sonic identity of the Riyadh Oases Tahliya FoodSphere.
A visionary collaboration between Riyadh Municipality and Riyadh Holding, the 11,000-square-metre immersive space is the first in a network of eight Oases across Riyadh, a city-wide initiative of free-to-access experiences and edutainment centres. And, as the Kingdom continues to develop a new acceptance and understanding of the importance of sound as a fundamental part of brand identity, WithFeeling was a natural fit for the creative cultural consultancy behind the development of the concept, &bouqu, and photo and film production company, GOOD Stills, when selecting an audio partner.
The WithFeeling team, led by Chief Music Officer and Co-Founder, Joe Dickinson, composed over four hours of original music in total for the project, blending traditional Saudi motifs with contemporary sounds to carefully craft an emotive soundscape. With each zone of the FoodSphere featuring its own bespoke ambient composition to enhance the visitor experience, this was by no means an easy feat.
Joe Says, “This project really pushed us to explore the length and breadth of services we can provide. Not only did we have to create a unique sonic identity to begin with, we then needed to weave this through every piece of music and every soundscape we created. Each themed zone within FoodSphere had its own very specific feel, so we really leaned into this when it came to composition. For example, in The Apiary zone – which tells the story of Saudi’s long history with honey – we wanted the music to remain organic and natural to reflect nature and calm, so we kept it all acoustic, with Oud, Ney flute, and Rubab representing the instrumentation of the region.”
Joe continues, “For The Oasis zone – where the deep roots of coffee in Saudi’s history and culture are celebrated – we not only continued to use a rich blend of traditional Arabic instrumentation, but authentic field recordings from the Jazan region were taken to transport visitors’ minds straight to the heart of the action. We also developed interactive hologram voiceovers, bringing authenticity to exhibits throughout FoodSphere, and produced and mixed soundtracks for the accompanying documentary and digital installations to ensure a seamless auditory journey.”
Underpinning the entire portfolio of work, the composition of an official FoodSphere theme shaped the creative process from the get-go. A signature piece that would be instantly recognisable as the experience’s own sonic brand, this formed the basis for all other audio and sound aspects throughout the immersive experience.
Joe says, “In line with Vision 2030, we’re seeing so many Saudi organisations looking to build a strong, recognisable and lasting brand, and they are quickly becoming leading advocates in using sound as a tool to help do this.”
“For us, particularly when working on cultural heritage projects such as FoodSphere, the importance of representation and authenticity can’t be ignored. While an outside listener might only hear ‘Arabic drums’ in a piece of music, we understand that there is much more to it. Everything from whether it’s the darbuka, riq, or daf, to the unique and identifiable rhythm it plays, will represent different regions within the Kingdom and tell a different story.”
By integrating subtle nuances such as these into sonic brands that it creates, WithFeeling has been able to artfully weave in nods to Saudi heritage within many organisations’ overall brand identity. It was this understanding of the Kingdom’s unique, rich culture and history that saw the agency selected as the natural first choice for creating and implementing FoodSphere’s audio elements.
Leighla McGregor, Executive Producer of GOOD Stills New Project Division, says, “WithFeeling are our go-to for music composition and audio production. Their deep understanding of Saudi’s musical landscape, combined with their technical expertise in both traditional and spatial audio, consistently adds a unique richness to our projects. They know how to paint a space with sound in a way that beautifully complements our visual storytelling.”
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