Leading global media group, The Business Year organized a grand ceremony on March 6, 2023, at Mrsool Park, in Riyadh.
The event highlighted the revolutionary sectors of Sports, Culture, Tourism and Entertainment most prominent economic developments and the milestones the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has achieved in its journey toof diversifying revenue streams by launching a number ofseveral Giga projects and new sectors such as Sports, Culture, Tourism, and Entertainment. The event gave an and overview of ed the aforementioned sectors and how they can be the future of economic growth and sustainability for Saudi Arabia. substantial investment opportunities unlocked along the way. During the ceremony, The Business Year’s special report ,” The New Era: How Sports, Culture, Tourism and Entertainment Are Defining the Future of Saudi Arabia” was launched released exclusively for the invited guests. Tby the Managing Director of The Business Year Group in Saudi Arabia, Alena Hakansson, who presented moderated the panel discussion that provided detailed information, figures, and statistics on the mentioned aforementioned sectors and their significance in shaping the future, and challenging traditional norms that will assist the Kingdom in diversifying its sources of income and achieving sustainable economic growth, in line with the ambitions towards Saudi Vision 2030 objectives. In her speech, sShe also touched upon the impressive achievements made in recent years, especially in areas like legislation and investments, whichthat have been the focus of attention for some of the and research by analysts, researchers, and the top international media outlets.
Hakansson stated, “This report is the first of its kind, a guidebook to who’s who in the Kingdom for investors and entrepreneurs looking for promising investment opportunities in new revolutionary sectors in the Kingdom.”
This prestigious event in strategic partnership with SMC, Quality of Life, and Federation of Saudi Chambers brought together decision-makers, senior officials, investors as well as, and local and international experts from various economic sectors. Participants discussed the variety of investment opportunities available in the Kingdom, the importance of partnerships between the public and private sectors, and the high demand from top international companies to invest and do business with Saudi partners in these nascent fields. We alsThe event alsoo focused on the major giga projects in the Kingdom and how they are shaping the future and contributing to exceptional livability and transforming the business environment while ensuring the highest standards of , contributing to exceptional livability and ensuring the highest quality of life standards.sustainability and environmental conservation.
The event featured a welcome address by Abdulrahman Al-Anbar, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Quality of Life who touched upon the exceptional work the organization is doing and eventually thanked The Business Year for their efforts in being the narrators and ambassadors of the Kingdom to the international community, after the event, he expressed:” The launch event has definitely ignited a spark of positive energy that surely will have an impact on the sport, culture, Tourism, and Entertainment sectors. Thank you The Business Year for this great event and looking forward to honoring our great partnership.”
The panel discussion featured SMC CEO, Khalid Alkhudair, ROSHN Group Chief Sales Officer, Jason Margetts, and NEOM Sport Partnerships Director, Neal Coupland. Mr. Khalid Walid Al-Khudair, CEO of SMC, stated, “We are pleased with our partnership with The Business Year, and we were delighted for the opportunity to be part of The New Era event and to listen to fruitful discussions and opinions from business leaders and experts, and to present the latest trends and ideas in the field of sports investment.”
Alkhudair touched upon the most prominent media trends and highlighted their pivotal role in enhancing KSA’s image, especially the Kingdom’s achievements and future plans in the sports field. He praised SMC’s concerted efforts to promote a powerful image of the sports industry in the Kingdom through its strategic cooperation and participation in sponsoring recreational and sports events and activities and discussed the ample investment opportunities in the media industry and various sports activities.
“It was a privilege to participate in such a forward-thinking event, focusing on key areas that are propelling the Kingdom’s aspirations. Amongst such an eminent and diverse group of business leaders, puts The Business Year as one of the most innovative platforms,” said NEOM’s sports director, Neal Coupland.
Neal Coupland stressed the strategic importance of the sports sector in NEOM, and the pivotal role of cooperation and partnerships with regional and international companies in spreading awareness and highlighting the sporting achievements in the Kingdom. He touched upon NEOM’s partnerships with McLaren in Formula One races, the Asian Football Confederation, in addition to the Young Talent Development Program and Community Development.
On his part, Jason Margetts explained that “by prioritizing the use of local materials and partners, we provide a springboard for entrepreneurial Saudis, we act as an enabler to domestic supply chains, whilst providing jobs and stimulate local economies throughout the Kingdom. Our harmonized communities focus on providing our residents a better living for a better life.”the concept of exceptional livability in ROSHN communities and highlighted the unswerving commitment of his company as a real estate developer in the Kingdom supported by the Public Investment Fund to creating world-class residential communities for Saudi citizens and residents.
Portas Consulting Partner and Head of Middle East and Africa, Donal McElwee pointed out that “The Business Year event reflected the ambition and emerging thought leadership in the KSA sports, esports, culture, tourism and entertainment sectors. It provided the perfect platform for the leaders in these sectors, including many of our sports clients, to share ideas and collaborations.”
touched upon the significance of the private sector and the business community in sports activities and the substantial investment opportunities in this sector. He called for cementing cooperation in the sports sector and investing in sports events sponsorship.
Concluding the ceremony, The Secretary-General of the Federation of Saudi Chambers, Hussein Alabdulkader thanked the attendees and speakers for their participation in the event, acknowledging the importance of The Business Year’s special report for shedding light on on the achievements of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the sports, culture, tourism, and entertainment fields and and their contribution to elevating the Kingdom’s global position as a large-scale investment hub.
With an extensive archive of interviews with top global decision- makers, The Business Year sheds light on the most exciting opportunities and pressing issues in the business world, reaching a highly influential global audience through a full spectrum of interactive media platforms and robust initiatives highlighting business and economic opportunities. For a decade, The Business Year has been providing investors, businesses, and governments with first-hand insights into the world’s most dynamic markets. The group conducts hundreds of interviews per week with senior decision-makers in the Middle East, Latin America, Central and Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe, producing print reports across an array of digital platforms, including Bloomberg Terminal, Refinitiv Eikon, Dow Jones Factiva and FactSet.
