Saudi Arabia expects significant growth in the tourism and leisure sector with the development of 24 theme parks, 420 entertainment centres and the creation of 35 entertainment-based venues, according to several reports.
The kingdom expects to attract over 100 million visitors annually by 2030, with combined efforts by the tourism, private and public sectors.
According to the relevant authorities, licenses for 24 theme parks and over 420 entertainment centres have been issued in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
As part of this plan, the General Entertainment Authority outlined the addition of 350 theatres and 2,500 screens, bringing over 30,000 jobs to the region.
The gaming industry is expected to see a 250 percent growth by 2030.
Expected to drastically impact the tourism industry is also gigaproject NEOM with its first development, Sindalah, set to welcome visitors in 2024. The rest of the developments including The Line, Trojena and Oxagon are expected to drive major inbound and outbound tourism.
Via Riyadh: Saudi Arabia’s premier luxury destination
Via Riyadh, the kingdom’s luxury destination was unveiled on May 11. The inauguration of Via Riyadh marks a significant milestone in Saudi Arabia’s journey to enhance its entertainment offerings in 2023.
The development will feature upscale retail stores, fine-dining restaurants, cinemas and theatres for live performances, constructed in just 20 months.
“Via Riyadh is one of the distinguished projects in the kingdom’s capital, as it highlights Riyadh’s identity and provides an entertainment, cultural and tourism experience. It enjoys the follow-up of Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority Turki Al-Sheikh, and the support of the Saudi leadership,” said Khalid Albaker, CEO of Quality of Life (QoL) Program Center.
PIF-owned Seven Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN) announced the creation of a Transformers theme park in the kingdom in a second licensed agreement with Hasbro.
Spanning more than 10,000sq m, the first Transformers attraction is set to open at SEVEN’s entertainment destination in Riyadh, with two additional attractions set to open at other SEVEN’s entertainment destinations.
The upcoming projects are located in 14 cities across the kingdom:
- Riyadh
- Kharj
- Makkah
- Jeddah
- Taif
- Dammam
- Khobar
- Al Ahsa
- Madinah
- Yanbu
- Abha
- Jizan
- Buraidah
- Tabuk
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