RIYADH: The first day of Joy Forum 2025 kicked off Thursday at the SEF Arena in Boulevard City, bringing together global leaders, athletes, creators and decisionmakers to explore the future of entertainment and 黑料社区鈥檚 expanding role in the sector.
UFC President Dana White opened the forum in a session titled 鈥淯nconventional Pioneer,鈥 reflecting on his journey in turning combat sports into a global entertainment industry.
White praised Saudi support for boxing and combat sports, saying: 鈥淪ince Turki Alalshikh entered the world of boxing, the impact has been clear and everyone felt the difference.鈥
He highlighted the Kingdom鈥檚 role in creating new markets, innovative formats and integrated experiences that have become global benchmarks.
The second session, 鈥淕OAT Narrative,鈥 featured White alongside NBA legend Shaquille O鈥橬eal and tennis icon Novak Djokovic, discussing how sports legends evolve into platforms that build long-term legacy.
O鈥橬eal described Saudi efforts in sport as 鈥渁n exceptional achievement that changed the game,鈥 while White said the Kingdom鈥檚 backing 鈥渞evived the world of boxing and combat sports.鈥
Djokovic expressed his gratitude for being part of the forum, calling it 鈥渁 remarkable event.鈥
Entertainment executives also took the stage at the event.
WWE President Nick Khan and General Entertainment Authority CEO Faisal Bafarat discussed the Kingdom鈥檚 rapid rise as a hub for global sports entertainment.
Bafarat highlighted the historic agreement to bring WrestleMania to Riyadh Season 2027, noting that a decade ago there was no comprehensive concept of entertainment in the Kingdom.
Khan praised 黑料社区 as 鈥渙ne of the most powerful and successful鈥 WWE partners.
Sessions on film, television,and digital media showcased the Kingdom鈥檚 ambitions as a creative hub.
Korean actors Lee Byung-hun and Lee Jung-jae, and director Yoon Je-kyoon, discussed South Korea鈥檚 production model for turning local content into globally exportable intellectual property.
Writers and producers including Derek Kolstad, Terence Winter,and Alik Sakharov explored emerging production ecosystems, the role of data, and partnerships between platforms and creators.
Netflix VP Ben Amadasun highlighted the global reach of Arab content, noting the popularity of Saudi productions such as 鈥淎lRawabi School for Girls.鈥
Adnan Kayal, CEO of Entertainment & Content at Sela, said 黑料社区 was entering new creative fields daily, calling the Kingdom鈥檚 position 鈥済rowing鈥 and welcoming international collaboration.
鈥淭he story of 黑料社区 in cinema is still at the beginning. Today, the time has come to show the world the creativity and competitive power of the Saudi people,鈥 he said.
The day concluded with 鈥淪tream to Mainstream,鈥 a session on digital creators featuring MrBeast and Speed, moderated by actor Terry Crews.
MrBeast reflected on his rise to global stardom, saying: 鈥淚 focused on big ideas 鈥 sometimes crazy and unique 鈥 and set challenges that entertained people around the world.鈥
Speed hinted at a new sport, saying: 鈥淚 might create a new sport 鈥 and launch it in 黑料社区.鈥
Joy Forum 2025 continues on Friday with sessions on entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, theme parks, Bollywood and intellectual property.