SEA Expo has brought together the manufacturers, suppliers, developers and operators shaping Saudi Arabia’s leisure and entertainment industry for almost a decade. As the industry continues to grow, so does the value of bringing its senior leaders together for focused conversations, shared insight and time to build relationships.
SEA Expo Connex 2026 has been created to meet that need.
Building on SEA Expo’s established industry connections, the new format brings operators, developers, investors and suppliers together for two days of networking, project discussions and behind-the-scenes experiences.
Sarkis Kahwajian, associate VP at dmg events
Taking place on 21–22 October at Six Flags Qiddiya City and Aquarabia Qiddiya City, the event puts delegates inside the destinations shaping Saudi Arabia’s entertainment ambitions.
From discussions around the table to conversations during guided tours, the programme gives attendees more time together to exchange ideas, explore partnerships and understand the opportunities ahead.
Blooloop speaks with Sarkis Kahwajian, associate VP at dmg events, about the thinking behind SEA Expo Connex, the changing needs of Saudi Arabia’s attractions sector, and the decision to make Qiddiya the event's setting.
He discusses the opportunities across the regional events market, the progress of projects from planning to delivery, and how a focused, on-site format can bring the attractions industry closer together.
Why SEA Expo Connex?
Saudi Arabia’s growing attractions industry has created a need for more time together: time to discuss projects in detail, share operational experience, and build relationships among the people developing, supplying, and running its entertainment destinations.
SEA Expo Connex meets that need by adding a new format to the established SEA Expo platform.
Join SEA Expo Connex 2026 at Six Flags Qiddiya City
This approach reflects how dmg events has developed its portfolio alongside the industry. The launches of Saudi Light and Sound (SLS) Expo and Merath Expo, the Middle East Heritage and Museums Expo, have given specialist communities dedicated platforms while maintaining connections across the wider industry.
Kahwajian points to technology as one of those shared interests:
“Technology is the connection that all of them have,” he says, highlighting the use of virtual reality, large displays, holograms, theming and lighting across museums, live entertainment and theme parks.
With more attractions moving from development to operations, there is plenty for this community to discuss.
SEA Expo Connex provides a dedicated setting for those conversations, building on the relationships formed through SEA Expo and bringing senior figures together around shared interests and upcoming opportunities.
“The real value of an event is not just what happens on the exhibition floor,” Kahwajian says. “It's the conversations, the relationships, and the connections that happen around it.”
The programme brings together executives, project directors, operators and government leaders for industry discussions, networking and behind-the-scenes experiences at Six Flags Qiddiya City and Aquarabia Qiddiya City.
Six Flags Qiddiya City is home to 28 attractions, including the world's longest, fastest and tallest coasterSix FlagsThe venues give delegates a first-hand perspective on destination development and operations, with time to exchange ideas as they explore.
“We built this community over the last 10 years, and we wanted to keep that momentum going by creating another opportunity for the industry to come together.
“That meant looking at what would add value for them now. With SEA Expo Connex, we saw an opportunity to bring senior industry figures together inside the destinations everyone is talking about, giving them time to share ideas, discuss projects and build relationships as they explore.
“We wanted to create a premium experience that builds on those existing connections and opens the door to new ones.”
As an addition to the SEA Expo portfolio, SEA Expo Connex gives the industry another way to meet and work together. Its value lies in bringing the right people into the same setting, with the time and access to turn shared interests into lasting business relationships.
What can attendees expect from SEA Expo Connex?
The agenda brings together senior figures from across the attractions, entertainment and leisure sectors for two days of discussion focused on the practical challenges and opportunities shaping Saudi Arabia’s rapidly developing entertainment industry.
The programme combines industry insight with the opportunity to experience major projects from behind the scenes.
The speaker line-up includes leaders from operators, developers, suppliers and entertainment organisations, including Dr Neil Dwyer, VP operations at Six Flags Qiddiya City; Bianca Sammut, executive director at Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN); Faisal Hakami, general manager, MENA operations at Al Othaim Entertainment; and Mohamed Attia, founder and CEO of Ground Control Entertainment.
Attendees will also hear from Peter Boyack, executive VP of business development at WhiteWater; Angela Selkirk, executive director of events and experience at MDLBEAST; and Dr Eihab Abourokbah, CEO of Saudi Entertainment and Event Management Academy.
Across the programme, discussions will explore how successful entertainment destinations are developed and operated, from the partnerships, investment and talent required to build the wider entertainment ecosystem to the operational considerations involved in creating memorable guest experiences.
Workforce development and the skills needed to support Saudi Arabia’s next phase of entertainment growth are also key themes.
A particular focus on Qiddiya City runs through the agenda.
Day One examines the ambition and leadership decisions behind Six Flags Qiddiya City, while Day Two turns to the development of Aquarabia, including the factors that contribute to successful large-scale destinations, from planning through to operations and guest loyalty.
Guided educational tours complement the conference sessions. On the first day, delegates will go behind the scenes at Six Flags Qiddiya City, including experiencing Falcon’s Flight, before exploring the park.
On Day Two, delegates will visit Aquarabia Qiddiya City for a guided tour examining the design, operational, and guest-experience considerations behind the waterpark.
Finding the right host in Six Flags Qiddiya City
To host SEA Expo Connex, dmg events partnered with Six Flags Qiddiya City, one of the most ambitious entertainment, sports, and cultural destinations in recent history, and home to attractions such as Falcon's Flight, the world's tallest, longest, and fastest roller coaster.
For Kahwajian, partnering with Six Flags Qiddiya City was an essential decision that aligns with what global industry leaders now expect from Saudi market engagements.
"The biggest difference with SEA Expo Connex is that it is designed around the people and the experience rather than the exhibition space.
"We want people to go away having had the conversations that they would normally have in a traditional conference, but in an environment where some of the most significant developments are actually happening. That's why we chose Qiddiya City."
Aquarabia Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia combines cutting edge rides with highly-detailed themingHolding SEA Expo Connex at Qiddiya City also gives delegates the opportunity to see projects progressing beyond the renderings and discuss their development in context.
"You can sit in a conference room anywhere, but when you actually have an event at a venue in Qiddiya City, attendees are right there where the vision is coming to life. Qiddiya really represents where the Saudi attraction industry is headed.
"It is difficult to find a better example of the scale and ambition of what is being developed in the Kingdom.
“Six Flags Qiddiya City is particularly relevant to our industry because it brings together major international brands, cutting-edge technologies, complex ride engineering, operations, and an entirely new destination concept."
Kahwajian sees the on-site format as an important part of that proposition:
“That is one of the main reasons we created SEA Expo Connex. After years of announcements, industry leaders want to see the destinations for themselves and understand, from the teams running them, how they will operate in practice.”
From master planning to operations
One of the biggest changes in Saudi Arabia's attractions market is the shift from master planning to operational delivery. Five to seven years ago, much of the industry conversation centred on major announcements, conceptual renders and long-term plans.
As major projects move toward completion and opening, the focus is shifting to operational readiness, guest experience, asset maintenance, and workforce development.
"A few years ago, a lot of discussion was about what was going to be built.
"Now, there is much more focus on how these destinations are going to operate: how you attract visitors, how you manage the guest experience, how you recruit and train local talent, how you maintain complex assets, and how you create destinations that people want to return to again and again."
An educational session at last year's SEA Expo
That shift is also changing what developers and operators expect from suppliers. A good product is no longer enough. Companies also need to understand the Saudi market, its operational requirements and the need for long-term local support and maintenance.
“We are also seeing a much more diverse ecosystem developing around the major projects, which creates opportunities well beyond traditional attraction suppliers."
That transition also changes the conversations suppliers and operators need to have. SEA Expo Connex is intended to provide a smaller setting for those conversations, bringing senior operational, engineering and park leaders together to discuss issues such as ride safety, queue management, guest comfort and F&B.
Listening to the market
dmg events organises around 85 exhibitions worldwide, including around 40 in Saudi Arabia, giving it a broad view of the markets in which it operates.
Kahwajian says the organisation's role is to listen to the industry and develop platforms around the needs it identifies:
"I don't claim to be an expert in the attractions industry. We organise exhibitions, and our job is to become part of and speak the language of whatever industry we are catering to.
"But we in no way become the operators or designers ourselves. It’s the people on the ground going through the intricacies of what that industry entails; they are the real experts."
SEA Expo Connex is designed to facilitate conversations and connections
That approach has shaped the development of SEA Expo Connex. Rather than setting the agenda independently, dmg events says it consulted Saudi project leaders, international OEMs and local operational teams about the issues they wanted to discuss.
"All we do is provide a platform and try to keep our finger on the pulse of what's happening as much as we can. These smaller, focused conferences are the best way to do that.
"It’s about having the right conversations with the right people and understanding what they actually want to discuss, not what our conference producers think is trendy.
“We have to listen to the industry. We create the platform; they do all the hard work."
What international suppliers need to know
For international suppliers, design firms and technology providers, SEA Expo Connex offers an opportunity to understand the Saudi market first-hand and connect with the people shaping its growth.
Kahwajian highlights the value of building lasting relationships and investing time in a long-term presence in the Kingdom:
"The biggest opportunity SEA Expo Connex creates for international companies is understanding the market in depth. Saudi Arabia is attracting enormous global interest, but entering the market successfully requires much more than simply identifying a project online and sending in a sales team.
“Companies need to understand who the actual decision-makers are, how the ecosystem functions, what the local regulatory requirements are, and where the real gaps lie."
He adds that suppliers entering the market need to consider local cultural expectations, climate conditions and operational requirements rather than assuming that products developed elsewhere can be transferred directly.
"Sometimes the most valuable thing an international supplier can do when entering a new market is to sit back and listen.
"Understand what the market actually needs rather than trying to sell whatever product you happen to have in your portfolio. Saudi Arabia is more intricate than most other markets.
"You really have to be on the ground, be part of the ongoing conversation, and meet people face to face to understand what the industry is looking for."
SEA Expo Connex is intended to create opportunities for international delegates to meet Saudi procurement managers, master planners and operational leaders in a smaller setting.
Kahwajian says SEA Expo Connex is here to complement SEA Expo.
"SEA Expo is our major, macro-level industry platform and trade marketplace. But the addition of SEA Expo Connex gives us the agility to experiment with different, highly focused formats, smaller, more experienced, and more intimate.
“SEA Expo Connex is here to complement the trade show ecosystem and ensure that the conversation never stops."
SEA Expo Connex 2026 will take place at Six Flags Qiddiya City from 21 - 22 October, providing a more focused counterpart to SEA Expo as Saudi Arabia's attractions market moves further into delivery and operations.
For more information and to register, please click here.
