The Business Year launched its special report 'The New Era' for Saudi Arabia’s revolutionary sectors of Sports, Culture, Tourism, and Entertainment

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 and the milestones the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has achieved in its journey to diversify revenue streams. The event gave an overview of the aforementioned sectors and how they can be the future of economic growth and sustainability for Saudi Arabia. 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 released exclusively for the invited guests. The Managing Director of The Business Year in Saudi Arabia, Alena Hakansson moderated the panel discussion that provided detailed information, figures, and statistics and their significance in shaping the future and challenging traditional norms that will assist the Kingdom in the ambitions towards Saudi Vision 2030 objectives. In her speech, she also touched upon the impressive achievements made in recent years, especially in areas like legislation and investments, which have been the focus of attention for some of 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 opportunities in 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, 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. The event also focused on the giga projects in the Kingdom and how they are shaping the future, contributing to exceptional livability and ensuring the highest quality of life standards.
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.”
 
“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.
 
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.”
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.”
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 the achievements of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the sports, culture, tourism, and entertainment fields and their contribution to elevating the Kingdom's global position as a large-scale investment hub.
 
This report, which was released publicly on March 7th can be accessed here, and is the first of many initiatives underway, preceding The Business Year’s 10th anniversary in Saudi Arabia.
 
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.