Saudi Gazette

THE Saudi General Entertainment Authority (GEA) was established last year and its officials announced it aims to provide world-class entertainment for Saudi citizens, who find it new to witness such in their country. The GEA said it will provide 200,000 jobs and will contribute SR500 billion to the GDP by 2030.

Hatim Samman, CEO of the GEA, said a couple of months ago in a tourism forum that the authority “has succeeded in a short period to organize different events around Saudi cities despite challenges and limited options.”

The GEA is working on a comprehensive framework for entertainment services in all Kingdom cities. The entity is cooperating with the private sector to improve the options provided. Samman said that they have studied the entertainment services provided in 14 cities around the world and will implement the best practices bringing them back to Saudi Arabia.

The GEA’s activities have created some 20,000 jobs since it was established, according to Chairman Ahmed Al-Khatib. He predicts the share of Saudi spending on entertainment will triple to 8 or 9 percent by 2030.

The Kingdom’s emerging entertainment sector claims it seeks to provide events and entertainment suitable for all sectors of society, helping enrich lifestyles and promote social cohesion.

As new events were being hosted on a regular basis, the authority launched a calendar of events where people can catch up with the entertainment activities available in different cities.

The GEA has organized more than 150 different activities that were attended by more than 2.5 million people and most are new for Saudi Arabia.

Entertainment is quickly gaining momentum and the sector has large plans for the Kingdom, such as attracting foreign investors, providing better quality of living for citizens and enhancing domestic tourism.

American stars meet Saudi fans

American entertainers, actor John Travolta and singer Nelly, visited Saudi Arabia to meet and perform for fans this month.

“It’s amazing to have your music transcend and be accepted globally, not just by where you come from but also by people who have never met you or seen you before,” Nelly said. “This experience is probably bigger for me than it is for you guys, so it feels great to be here.”

Travolta held a three-hour talk show on Dec. 15 in Riyadh in an event titled ‘A Night with Travolta’ to talk about his career and the secrets of Hollywood in an event organized by the GEA.

Cinemas allowed after long wait

The Ministry of Culture and Information announced it will allow movie theaters to open in the Kingdom paving the way for licenses to be granted to commercial movie theaters, with the first cinemas expected to open in March 2018. The move is allowing cinemas after a 35-year ban in the Kingdom.

“This marks a watershed moment in the development of the cultural economy in the Kingdom,” Culture and Information Minister Awwad Al-Awwad said. “Opening cinemas will act as a catalyst for economic growth and diversification.”

Cinemas are one of the favorite pastimes of Saudis as many consider themselves movie buffs. It also promises to create new jobs for Saudis.

Yanni comes to Saudi Arabia

Internationally renowned musician and composer Yanni performs for the first time in Saudi Arabia earlier this month and says this is a new experience for him in his long career. The General Authority and Ithraa organized the concert held in KAEC, Riyadh, and Dammam. Tickets were sold out for the concerts. He performed all-time favorites and classics of his albums in addition to a surprise piece for the KAEC audience. In a press conference at KAEC, Yanni said he was able to prepare and perform without any interference from any authority.

All-female concert

Celebrating the 46th National Day of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the General Entertainment Authority organized the first female concert in Saudi Arabia hosting renowned GCC artist, Balqees. About 2,000 of female fans enjoyed her spectacular performance of a wide range of her hit songs, in addition to the UAE national anthem.

Arabic classical music concerts

WATAR musical nights brings Arabic music compositions: Famous Lebanese composer Elias Rahbani, led by maestro Ghassan Rahbani, performs in the Kingdom for the first time at a concert at King Abdullah Economic City this month. Rahbani was accompanied by an orchestra of 50 musicians to entertain the audience with a special night that reflects the most famous Arabic and classical music compositions.

Supported by the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) and jointly organized by King Abdullah Economic City and BenchMark Events, the Rahbaniyat concert is the second of the prestigious WATAR musical nights. The first event held in May, featuring the prominent Egyptian musician Omar Khairat, witnessed a huge turnout of music lovers and tickets were completely sold-out.

Lebanese musician Michel Fadel amused his fans during a musical organized by the GEA at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in November. He performed various Western numbers, such as Brucia la terra, the theme song of “The Godfther”. He also played legendary Arabian classics by Fairouz and Umm Kulthum before presenting several of his own compositions. He then performed a special song that he made just two weeks ago honoring cancer fighters. Fadel expressed his joy for being able to perform in Saudi Arabia for the first time saying: “I am so glad for being the first Lebanese composer who plays in Saudi Arabia. I felt like I was playing piano for the first time in my life.”

87th National Day celebrations

GEA brought 3-day entertainment during National Day weekend of celebrations. For the first time, the General Entertainment Authority presented a “National Day Box” event in Jeddah while similar events were planned in all major cities of the Kingdom. Instead of young men celebrating in the streets every year, families were able to attend organized events to show national pride. The General Entertainment Authority (GEA) hosted 27 diverse festivities across 17 cities.

Saudi and Gulf music artists entertained the audience at Al-Johara Stadium in Jeddah. Laser shows and vibrant firework displays lit up the skies in the Kingdom. GEA has turned Riyadh’s famous Tahlia Street into an “Entertainment Avenue”. The street will witness several events as part of the National Day celebrations on Saturday and Sunday. Parades, such as drum march, aerial sculptures, Chinese folklore, bike, camel and horse processions, as well as theatrical performances and circus shows are some of the highlights.

Comic Con in February was a big hit to Jeddah residents and later visited Riyadh in November. Comic Con has become a phenomenon and one of the most popular events in the world of entertainment, he said, adding that it is finally arriving in Saudi Arabia for the first time. Saudi Comic Con with a logo of a Saudi citizen superhero includes various activities such as Comics, Anime, Manga Art, Pop Art, Celebrity Appearance, Video Gaming, Competitions, Cosplay, and books, among others.

Largest entertainment project in Al-Qidiyah

The Kingdom’s most ambitious leisure project to date is a giant entertainment city being planned for outside the capital Riyadh, which would aim to draw regional visitors with resorts, golf courses, car racing tracks and a Six Flags theme park. The Kingdom’s largest quality cultural, sports and entertainment city project in Al Qidiya, southwest of Riyadh. The city is the first of its kind in the world with an area of 334 square kms, including a major safari area. The city aims to become a prominent cultural landmark and an important center for meeting the future generation’s recreational, cultural and social needs in the Kingdom. It’s considered the Kingdom’s most ambitious project that will contribute to diversifying the economy and creates more job opportunities for young people. The Public Investment Fund is the main investor in the project, along with a number of local and international investors. The project’s foundation stone is scheduled to be laid beginning of 2018 and the opening of its first phase in 2022.

Eid festivities like no other

Eid Al-Adha festivities were one of a kind this year. Bringing world-class performers from Las Vegas, New York, and Orlando to Saudi Arabia was welcomed by citizens who were able to attend performances by The Blue Man Group. This is considered one of the biggest international shows ever to have visited Saudi Arabia.

Blue Man Group is a spectacular and unique show that combines music, technology and physical comedy to stunning effect. Since its formation, the touring show has visited over 20 countries and been seen by more than 35 million people. Backed by a live rock band, three blue-colored, hairless performers harness dance, theater and slapstick comedy to stunning effect, the group pokes fun at collective idiosyncrasies and reminds how much people from all over the world have in common.

• Health awareness and fun

Fun in Motion was one of the events joining entertainment and well-being. The first edition of Fun in Motion festival with the theme “Stay active, stay healthy” was held in Jeddah during the summer attracting more than 15,000 sports enthusiasts. The event was organized by Benchmark, and supported and sponsored by the General Entertainment Authority.

The festival, in its first year, encouraged the community to keep fit. The aim was also to urge people to see sports activities as an essential aspect of a healthy lifestyle.

• Edutainment to inspire to learn

Events such as Oswa Festival celebrated Muslim role models from the Islamic Golden Age in an innovative event featuring an exhibition, workshops and theater shows teaching the story of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as well as renowned Islamic scholars. The event was regarded by visitors as a unique experience where such educational and yet amusing events were absent in Saudi Arabia. Theater shows presented heroic stories, including the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) short and the animated film ‘1001 Inventions’ starring Omar Sharif in addition to an interactive exhibition. The event was organized by sponsored by the General Entertainment Authority in collaboration with MiSK.

• Comedy

Comedy is another outlet for youth and going to a comedy club is an option for those looking for entertainment on a weekend. The Comedy Club has several branches across big cities and in addition to its regular shows, its comedians participate in various entertainment events throughout the year.

• American pop culture comes to Riyadh

During President Donald Trump’s visit to Riyadh this year, the GEA hosted a range of events inviting American country music singer Toby Keith, American basketball professionals Harlem Globetrotters, American US NASL champions, the New York Cosmos, in addition to a Classic Auto-Show featuring some 200 vintage automobiles. In efforts to raise awareness and fight extremism, the GEA also hosted the Rider’s March, around Riyadh, an event under the slogan of “No Terrorism”, with more than 350 motorcyclists from around the Kingdom on the streets of Riyadh.

• More concerts to come

More female Arab pop singers are to perform in Riyadh, including Amr Diab, Shamma Hamdan and Majda Al-Roumi. A concert for Egyptian artist Shereen that was supposed to be hosted earlier this year was canceled.