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The Saudi General Entertainment Authority has achieved 26 Guinness World Records, a remarkable figure for a single entity worldwide. These accomplishments came through planning and dedication by those in charge.

From the authority’s establishment to the beginning of 2024, ºÚÁÏÉçÇø has successfully attracted 217 million visitors to its entertainment events. The Saudi entertainment sector has been experiencing rapid growth, considering its relatively young age — the first professional festival, Riyadh Season, began only in 2019.

Confidence in the Saudi entertainment market is remarkably high. Boxing events in particular played a key role. Boxing was one of the most popular sports in the 1970s, but its ranking declined in the new millennium, dropping to 19th place on the list of spectator sports. I recall that my late father, when I was a teenager, cared only about watching boxing on Saudi television. His engagement was beyond imagination; I was always bracing myself to receive a punch on the face from him, so immersed was he in the matches.

ºÚÁÏÉçÇø has brought boxing back to the forefront, reviving my memories with my father. The largest media campaigns in the history of boxing were executed under the Saudi Entertainment Authority and were aimed at the entire world. Through them, the authority sold more than 75 percent of tickets for locally hosted boxing events — most of them to visitors from other countries. This has recently tied ºÚÁÏÉçÇø’s name to boxing. Among the results: in January 2024, the British newspaper The Independent named Turki Al-Sheikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, the most influential global figure in boxing and combat sports.

Beyond the impressive boxing feats, ºÚÁÏÉçÇø’s entertainment landscape is diversifying rapidly, featuring major attractions like the Riyadh Season Cup and the Six Kings Tennis tournament, alongside strategic partnerships with global giants such as WWE, Nintendo, Disney, and Dazn.

Globally, there are no more than 100 major events for which every city competes to be the host. However, today Riyadh is regarded as one of the most crucial attraction hubs, not solely for its financial muscle, but for its successful track record in organization and service delivery for events and their attendees. This has significantly boosted confidence in its capabilities and high profitability, leading well-known names in the global entertainment sphere to acknowledge that their best experience was in the Saudi market.

The entertainment industry in ºÚÁÏÉçÇø is a promising and ideal one, despite limitations in existing facilities. The sector is still relatively behind global standard metrics. According to the Saudi Quality of Life Program, the current provision stands at no more than seven events and only five designated entertainment venues for every one million citizens across the country. Addressing this gap, SEVEN, a company owned by the Public Investment Fund, is playing a leading and crucial role in the rapid establishment of permanent sites to host all entertainment events.

Moreover, the E-Sports World Cup, held annually in Riyadh, is a calculated move. It capitalizes on a global market valued at $188.9 billion in 2023, according to figures from CNN Economic. Earlier this year, ºÚÁÏÉçÇø’s Savvy Games Group acquired the creator of the PokEmon Go application for $3.5 billion, as reported by the Financial Times. This forms part of an ambitious investment plan extending to 2030, valued at $37.8 billion. Even vintage games are being recognized as rare investment assets; for example, a sealed copy of Super Mario 64 was sold for $1.65 million, according to Heritage Auctions.

Entertainment remains a superior industry in the Kingdom, with annual profit growth reaching 30 percent. In the future, its leadership will be entirely entrusted to the private sector, in line with the state’s strategy. Initial government intervention was necessary to provide a necessary boost, ensuring it is on par with its counterparts in the developed world. A testament to this trajectory is the explosive growth in the number of Saudi entertainment companies — from a mere five at the beginning of Vision 2030 to a current count of 4,000. No one could have foreseen this immense leap in just a few years.

Platinum List has projected that the size of the Saudi entertainment sector will reach SR17.36 billion ($4.63 billion) by 2030, solidifying the Kingdom’s future as a key destination on the global entertainment map.

• Dr. Bader bin Saud is a columnist for Al-Riyadh newspaper, a university professor in crowd management and strategic planning, and the former deputy commander of the special forces for Hajj and Umrah in ºÚÁÏÉçÇø. X: @BaderbinSaud.

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