RWS Global, a leading producer of live experiences, has announced its plans to establish a headquarters in Riyadh, further extending the company’s significant footprint in the Middle East. This move demonstrates RWS Global’s commitment to the region’s ongoing investment in innovation across entertainment, tourism, leisure travel, and sports.
The RWS Global team has established collaborations with top companies in the region and is currently engaged in several major projects in development.
RWS Global is recognised for its expertise in sport presentation, destination design, world building, and curating top-tier entertainment experiences both on land and at sea. The company has substantial experience in the Middle East, and since 2022, it has successfully produced the Saudi Games (pictured, top and below), the largest national sporting event ever held in the Kingdom, each year.
The company offered technology-based fan engagement programs for competitions in 52 categories. Additionally, the RWS Global team executed comprehensive sport presentations in 16 different martial arts and combat sports at the World Combat Games in Riyadh in 2023, featuring 1,500 top athletes from more than 120 countries and engaging over 4,000 fans.
RWS Global’s contributions to the region encompass the design of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, experiences offered at Warner Bros. World and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, the sport presentation for SuperTri—the inaugural sporting event in NEOM—and the creation of several other premier entertainment venues.
Key opportunities
“After a decade of building incredible experiences in the Middle East, we are thrilled to expand the presence of RWS Global by opening a headquarters in the region,” says Ryan Stana, chairman & CEO, RWS Global.
“As we develop our partnerships with some of the most exciting global companies operating in the Middle East, having a permanent presence in the market is paramount to our continued growth and allows us to be more available for our clients as we create magical experiences tailored to a wide range of visitors.”
“This is a chance for us to plant roots in a market which we are very familiar with, having worked on destination design and live experiences here for the better part of the last decade. We see tremendous growth potential for our business across tourism, attractions, cruise, entertainment and sports. There are so many opportunities already underway for us to make a big impact and raise visitor and fan experiences to new heights.”
To support the expansion, RWS Global is seeking a VP of business and client strategy, as well as several additional locally based team members. This expansion builds on the robust foundation of its current teams that execute destination design and live experience projects throughout the GCC states. Interested candidates can submit their cover letter and resume to hr@rwsglobal.com.
RWS Global is exhibiting on the show floor at SEA Expo this week, and the team can be found at booth #4A491.
RWS Global continues growth
Looking ahead, Stana adds:
“I’m incredibly proud of the team that has built RWS Global into a powerhouse experience creator across six continents.
“Right now, I’m especially excited about our work in Australia. In sports, we’re collaborating with Rugby Australia to develop a world-class fan experience for the British & Irish Lions Tour, using our proprietary PV4 technology to elevate fan engagement. We’re also thrilled to be a title sponsor of the Victorian Dance Festival this weekend as we recruit top Australian talent for shows both on land and at sea.
“We’ll be sharing more about new developments sparked by the opening of our Shanghai office and partnership with Max-Matching Entertainments at IAAPA Asia this July. Our footprint in the UK continues to grow, giving us the ability to create, design, cast and operate unforgettable experiences across the UK and Europe.”
Last week, RWS Global also revealed two key leadership appointments as it continues to expand globally. Hans Vollrath has been appointed executive vice president of land production, and Ashley Hong will take on the newly created position of vice president of licensing.
