Cairo: A new edition of the Riyadh Season, Saudi Arabia’s annual flagship entertainment and tourist festival, is due to start on October 12 with a multitude of events including 11 world championships and 10 exhibitions, the organiser has disclosed.
Head of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Turki Al Alsheikh said at a press conference in Riyadh that the fifth edition of the season will be set up on more than 7.2 million square metres with 4,200 contracts concluded with 2,100 companies, 95% of them are local.
The upcoming edition will include, among other things, the opening of the “Boulevard Runway”, a new zone set up in partnership with Saudi Airlines, based on making use of decommissioned aircraft. The zone capacity reaches 9,000 people.
Another zone is the “Venue” established on around 10,000 square metres with a capacity of 8,000 people. This zone will host major events including a world tennis championship and a high-profile fashion show.
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The “Kingdom Arena”, a landmark of the season, has been expanded by 40% with its capacity reaching 27,000 spectators and is set to be the venue of four world championships including an epic boxing fight as part of the opening ceremony, Al Alsheikh said.
He cited expansion of the highly popular “Boulevard World” zone with the introduction of five more areas from around the world, bringing the total to 19 areas.
Saudi Arabia is seeking to diversify its oil-reliant economy and attract more visitors. In May 2016, the kingdom created GEA, a state agency that has since sponsored a slew of stellar concerts, stage shows and festivals.
A major annual event organised by GEA, the Riyadh Season made its debut in 2019 with the aim of turning the city into a global entertainment and tourist destination.
