Saudi expansion plan for voucher books publisher

The Entertainer Publishing said on Monday it was launching their range of discount voucher books in Saudi Arabia, with a sales revenue target of SR1m for the first year.

The launch will complete The Entertainer's presence in all of the GCC countries, the company said in a statement.

The Entertainer Saudi Arabia is available in English and Arabic and contains buy one get one free vouchers for dining, leisure activities, spas and hotel accommodation.

Donna Benton, CEO, said: "We are very excited to be launching in Saudi Arabia. We believe that the country has untapped potential in the discount voucher market and we are expecting a strong uptake in use of the vouchers from day one."

The books contain discounts for outlets in Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province and will be targeted at nationals and expatriates, she added.

Initially, the books will be available to buy online and in Jarir Bookstores and Virgin megastores with more stores selling the books in the next few weeks.

Headline partners include Rosewood, InterContinental, Marriott Hotel, Sheraton Hotel, Movenpick, Holiday Inn and Ramada in the hotel sector while Spazio, Noodle House, Kosebasi, Café Bateel, Burger King, Dominos, The Pizza Company, Al Balad, Cinnabon and Vapiano, headline the dining outlets.

"Due to the large population in Saudi Arabia and the lack of competition from other discount providers we expect to see a significant impact on company turnover in the first year. This launch represents a huge leap for the company and cements our position as the leading supplier of discount vouchers in the GCC," Benton added.

The Entertainer plans to next launch into Lebanon and Singapore, with both books launching a 2013 version.

The Entertainer recently announced that Riyada Enterprise Development (RED), Abraaj Capital's $650m high growth small and mid-cap investment platform intended to acquire a 50 percent stake in the company.