The founder and brainchild of Ilm Arts Festival is the philanthropist Sajid Hussain, aka “The Maestro”. Born and raised in the UK, Sajid has always been an entrepreneur at heart. Sajid began his professional life as a consultant working for major financial blue chip corporations around the world after being shortlisted but then denied an interview for a full time position due to the colour of his skin. This experience moulded his life, and he vowed never to work for anyone on a permanent basis; rather to work for himself and explore his passions.

Sajid continued to establish himself in the property market, and became an avid traveller, visiting over 102 countries, where he began his journey to understand people and cultures. In 2008, Sajid adopted Kuala Lumpur as his home, where he established and managed a charity for 5 years. He began to identify gaps in the market, and identify niche areas, which he soon began crafting solutions for. 

Sajid has always been passionate about the arts and began connecting with creatives around the world. Having already delivered various arts programmes in Malaysia, it was only a matter of time before his vision for a faith-inspired global arts festival was soon to hit the world. Mobilising a dedicated team around him, Sajid has embarked on a groundbreaking festival that aims to connect the arts with faith and social change. The Ilm Arts Festival was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2015, and has been successfully delivered in Melbourne, Kuwait, London, and Johannesburg, with many more to come.