Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Wednesday, Oct 08, 2025

Kingdom’s surging entertainment sector in the spotlight

From tackling the environmental impact of shows to spotlighting women in the events industry, the Saudi Light and Sound Expo will look at how the Kingdom’s entertainment industry can stay ahead of the curve, while mapping the industry’s future, and highlighting the biggest trends and challenges.
The SLS Expo, taking place from May 28-30 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, will be the first dedicated event in Saudi Arabia for professional AV and lighting equipment specialists, and will feature exhibitors from the pro-lighting and audio, live events, digital signage, AI, laser technology, and stage technology sector.

More than 15 debates, fireside chats, presentations, case studies and panel discussions from industry experts will be included in the summit.

As the Kingdom hosts growing numbers of international sports events, art exhibitions and live concerts with international performers, there is a rising demand for AV technology to support its burgeoning entertainment industry, which was worth an estimated $308 million at the end of last year, according to Statista, the online market and consumer data platform.

Amid plans for the Kingdom to invest $64 billion in the entertainment industry over the next decade, there is a significant demand for AV technology, professional lighting equipment, and theater and cinema operators to support the ambitious entertainment goals, and the rising demand will be the focus of this year’s SLS Expo.

“With the Kingdom hosting over 120 million people at events in the last four years, the country is looking to fast track plans in its events and entertainment industry, and the SLS Summit and Expo will look to showcase these advancements,” said Mohammed Faisal, event manager at DMG Events, organizers of the expo.

The Kingdom continues to create the fundamentals for a vibrant entertainment sector, with 11,136 licenses issued for entertainment and supporting events since 2019, according to the Saudi General Entertainment Authority.

Global professional services firm Ernst & Young recently said that MENA governments, such as Saudi Arabia, have demonstrated strong support for entertainment as part of goals to invest in their non-oil economies. The company predicted that by 2030, the entertainment industry will create over 100,000 jobs with a 3 percent impact on the Kingdom’s economic output.

“Saudi Arabia is rapidly becoming the most important entertainment market in the region,” said Koert Vermeulen, principal designer and owner of ACTLD, and one of the speakers at the expo.

The summit will also take a closer look at women in the events industry, with the country putting several initiatives in place to empower and encourage women to join the public and private sector.

“I am thrilled to be taking part in the executive session, ‘Women in the events industry,’ and I hope that it will help shine a spotlight on the wonderful opportunities available for women,” said Debbie Kristiansen, general manager of Exhibition World Bahrain and one of the speakers at the expo.

Topics include trending and future tools for interactive installations and audience engagement, design principles and techniques for creating shows, a sound-storm case study, and sound engineering and design for immersive experiences.

Other speakers include Mark Reeves, head of entertainment and events at 6 Flags Qiddiya; and Michael Jobson, executive director, MDL Beast.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Wave of Complaints Against Apple Over iPhone 17 Pro’s Scratch Sensitivity
Syria Holds First Elections Since Fall of Assad
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
×