Cairo: A major entertainment calendar is due to kick off this week in Saudi Arabia, covering 16 cities across the kingdom where the entertainment industry is experiencing an unprecedented boom.
The “Kingdom’s Tour 2023” will take place in the cities of Riyadh, Dammam, the Northern Borders, Hafr Al Batin, Tabuk, H’ail, Al Qassim, Al Ihsa, Al Kharj, Wadi Al Dawasir, Jeddah, Taif, Al Namas, Al Baha, Jizan and Abha.
“16 different cities around the kingdom where we’ll live the best times with the Kingdom’s Tour 2023,” tweeted head of the state General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Turki Al Alsheikh.
The official posted a promotional video of the events.
“The Kingdom’s Tour 2023” is due to commence in Riyadh on Thursday with the Arabic play “Set to Take Off” while its second stop will be in Abha on Friday with a concert highlighting Saudi singer Asil Abu Bakr to be followed on May 28 by a concert in Jeddah featuring Egyptian pop singer Sherine.
The summer event, running from May to September, also comprises concerts headlining such celebrated singers as Mohammad Abdu, Rabeh Saqer, Asala and Khaled Abdulrahman.
A set of theatrical works starring leading actors from around the Arab world will be staged too.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has sought to boost its entertainment industry, staging a string of concerts, cinema, theatrical shows and competitions that have drawn large audiences from inside and outside the kingdom.
In May 2016, the kingdom created the GEA, a state agency that has since sponsored a slew of stellar concerts, stage shows and festivals.
In April 2018, Saudi Arabia reopened cinemas for the first time in nearly four decades.
As many as 120 million people have attended entertainment events staged in Saudi Arabia since 2019, Al Alsheikh has said, as the kingdom is seeking to diversify its oil-reliant economy.
