• The GEA provided licenses for events covering the arts, sports, gaming, and shopping, among other fields

Arab News

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority licensed 2,736 events in the first half of 2023 — an increase of 35 percent over the same period last year — it announced in a recent report.

In the same six-month period, the GEA issued 57 licenses to entertainment centers, 92 for crowd management, and 67 for talent management and development.

A further 93 licenses were granted for operating entertainment facilities, 29 for selling tickets, and two for amusement parks.

The GEA provided licenses for events covering the arts, sports, gaming, and shopping, among other fields, as part of its goal of making the Kingdom a global destination for entertainment and special events, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

Among its other aims are to help diversify the country’s economy, increase GDP, support small and medium-sized enterprises, and attract foreign investment.