Saudi Arabia aspires to establish itself as an entertainment destination to strengthen its financial position and diversify its portfolio from being solely an oil – driven economy. Setting several important initiatives as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 to help support the expansion of the country; one of the key goals under of Saudi Vision 2030 include “creating a vibrant society with fulfilling lives” and “promotion of physical and social wellbeing and healthy lifestyle”.
The sports industry in the country is expected to be valued at SAR 84 BN (US$ 2.4 BN) by the year 2030, over the past few years this has emerged as an eminent of pillar of Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation strategy and is a crucial driving factor for diversification.
The country boasts young and digitally adept population, where more than 63% of the nationals are under 30 years of age making it a key demographic for an active sports engagement. With this the country is experiencing an immense boom in the sports sector having an expected market growth of 8.7% by the year 2026, the sports sector seems to be the next big thing in Saudi Arabia!
The country is ramping up its endeavours to become the next top choice for sporting events, starting with hosting the AFC Asian Cup in 2027 and more importantly being the hosts of the FIFA World Cup 2034. Hosting these international competitions has led to KSA ramping up its efforts to develop the relevant infrastructure. Over 15 stadiums have been announced across Riyadh, Jeddah, Murabba, The Line and many more; with this the country has revealed a number of bold plans to develop world class sporting facilities and other nearby substructure to ensure an extraordinary experience for the audiences.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia wants to further expand its sporting sector to incorporate several sports including Formula 1, Women’s Tennis Tournaments, international boxing championships, gaming events apart from football.
Join us at the 3rd edition of Stadiums and Sports Innovation Summit KSA taking place on 19 - 20 May 2025 in Riyadh to meet and network with trailblazers from the industry, engage in insightful discussions about the key trends in the country, and learn from the pioneers of the business!