“Sport-led, adventure-driven and wellness-inspired.”
That is how the CEO behind ambitious plans to transform active lifestyle opportunities in Saudi Arabia described Ebda – a new adventure, sport and entertainment company operating across the kingdom.
Rosanna Chopra was approached to lead the company by global business pioneers, Musaab Al Muhaidib, Mohy Kamel, Sinan Al-Saady and Tal Hisham Nazer, almost a year ago.
Inspired by the country’s breath-taking natural environment and the ambitious Vision 2030, Ebda’s mission is to help create, build and deliver a whole range of new and exciting experiences based around four key landscapes: water, desert, mountain and urban.
However, with the onset of Covid-19 and the associated lockdowns, curfews and general movement restrictions in the country, and across the world, like many people over the past 12 months, their plans were impacted.
“I was approached by my now board a year ago. At that time it was a very noisy space in Saudi in terms of sport and entertainment. [Anthony] Joshua has just done his fight and it was all, wow,” Chopra told Arabian Business.
“Then suddenly there was this grinding halt. They’d onboarded me and said they want to move progressively into the sport and entertainment space. Then sport and entertainment came to a grinding halt.”
That’s not to say the pause was necessarily a bad thing for Ebda, and the kingdom at large, according to Chopra, referring to the rapid speed of change in the country, through progressive reforms passed by Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, which has included opening up cinemas and theatres, to allowing females to drive.
Chopra explained: “I think it will have been one of the most beneficial pauses in time for the kingdom because that speed of change, that velocity, was tiring, it was exhausting, and I think everybody just needed to have a period where they just paused and reflected.
“For the lifecycle of Ebda what was brilliant was actually not having to build a plane when I’m in flight, which is what we’d all got used to. The planes were quite literally grounded, they weren’t going anywhere as they weren’t allowed to take off.”
With normality slowly returning, the company is now charging full speed ahead with its vision for activity hubs, mountain adventures, marine sports, wellness retreats, desert activities and community sports projects, all designed to improve the quality of life of the kingdom’s citizens, residents and visitors.
Chopra said: “I’ve just been brought up in a world where when I had my biggest challenges, the very thing that restabilises me or puts me back on my track, or helps my head clear, is getting outside, getting outside in Mother Nature who’s bigger and wiser than all of us, and sport. Starting to feel physically stronger helps your head feel physically stronger.
“Out of that emerged adventure sport and wellness, but a new vision of wellness, not one like reflexology and aromatherapy, but wellness which is something that is in you.
“We want people to climb up mountains, by themselves or with a team, and reach the summit and have a moment to think ‘I’ve achieved this, I feel good’, not feel they need to base jump from it, but instead have a moment to breathe, and feel that sense of achievement that you’ve made it.”
The company brings together local, influential figureheads from the world of health and wellness, construction and real estate, entertainment, media, sport, business, and brand development each with decades of experience, unrivalled global networks, and a reputation for delivering projects at pace.
Mussab al Muhaidib, chairman of Ebda, said: “Our aim is to work together with the best in the business, to deliver initiatives that offer opportunities to discover our cities and diverse terrains, creating high quality, fun, safe experiences and healthy lifestyle opportunities that everyone can enjoy.
“We hope to bring together teams of like-minded sports and adventure enthusiasts and ambassadors to share experiences and create memorable moments and redefine the concept of community leisure and recreational facilities so these can be enjoyed by everyone all year round.”
And while luring international visitors is key to the success of Ebda, Chopra admitted she was hugely excited about engaging the Saudi population and showing them the beauty and bounty of possibilities that exist on their very doorstep.
She said: “The opportunity in Saudi is not because of a particular demographic, industry or individual, it is a unified commitment to their kingdom. Their heritage anchors them, but there is a neo-renaissance that has emerged that is inspiring, the youth are super switched on – and so Ebda, which literally means ‘let’s start something’, is a call to action, to adventurers, athletes and explorers, and anyone inspired by the future of this beautiful country.”
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