SEA (Saudi Entertainment and Amusement) Expo, the Middle East’s largest gathering of leisure and entertainment professionals, will take place from 28 – 30 May 2023 at Riyadh’s International Convention Centre. Ahead of the event, the SEA Expo’s Advisory Board met to discuss the importance of cultivating a dynamic new workforce.
Saudi Arabia’s entertainment sector needs to build a vibrant and creative workforce and enhance the capabilities of the nation’s youth if it is to continue expanding exponentially.
The advisory board meeting in April brought together the nation’s leading experts in the entertainment industry to explore the current market dynamics and trends, challenges and potential solutions, and map out the future of the entertainment and leisure landscape in Saudi Arabia. The findings will shape the agenda of the upcoming SEA Expo and its three-day summit.
Investing in young people is key for entertainment sector
Major players in the industry who attended the advisory board to share their perspectives on the current entertainment landscape included experts from the Ministry of Investment, Qiddiya Investment Company, Thinkwell Group, Saudi Entertainment Academy, Saudi Entertainment Ventures (Seven), and Al Hokair Group.
The board members came to the conclusion that in order to build a strong and resilient entertainment sector, it is crucial to invest in human capital and human resource development, train Saudi Arabia’s young and dynamic workforce, encourage the nation’s youth to pursue careers in the entertainment and leisure sector, and support environments that encourage creativity.
Saudi Arabia has increased its efforts in recent years to address the scarcity of human capital and has developed numerous programmes to progressively shift its economy away from one dependent on oil and towards one based on knowledge. The advisory board members examined the future of the entertainment business to determine what is required for the industry’s sustained development, because entertainment and tourism are high on the kingdom’s agenda.
The board members also discussed Saudization, safety and security, entertainment in the hospitality business, e-sports, women in entertainment, the success of significant giga-projects in KSA, and using the entertainment sector to advance the nation’s Vision 2030 objectives.
“The findings from the 2023 SEA advisory board were tantamount to a real success in KSA’s entertainment, leisure and amusement industry,” says a spokesperson for SEA Expo. “By discussing and dissecting the current climate, the country’s foremost experts moved the needle forward by asking the question: What is essential to success and longevity within the entertainment industry?”
Discover the future of entertainment at SEA Expo 2023
The 2023 SEA advisory board included:
Eng. Bahaa Abdulmajeed, entertainment sector director, of the Ministry of Investment; Don Potts, president of parks & attractions at the Qiddiya Investment Company; Vivien Exartier, PhD, executive director of the Saudi Entertainment Academy; Amin Rashmani, executive director MENA for Thinkwell Group; Mike Rigby, VP of business development for Middle East waterparks & attractions at Whitewater; Andy Such, executive director of operations for Saudi Entertainment Ventures (Seven); and Mohamed Attia, deputy CEO of Al Hokair Group.
Co-located with the Saudi Light and Sound Expo, SEA Expo 2023 aims to highlight Saudi Arabia’s entertainment and leisure plans and create opportunities in the industry to drive the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 ambitions. Attendees will be able to discover hundreds of international and local brands from over 40 countries.
To register for SEA Expo 2023, please click here.
