Saudi Arabia is making a massive $64 billion bet on entertainment as part of its Vision 2030 plan to diversify the economy beyond oil. From reopening cinemas after a 35-year ban to hosting major boxing matches, concerts, festivals, and global sporting events, Riyadh is rapidly transforming into an international entertainment hub. At the centre of this transformation is Riyadh Season, which has attracted millions of visitors and generated major economic activity. The 2025 season was valued at $3.2 billion, with figures cited in reports linking it to 187,000 jobs and thousands of participating local businesses. Saudi Arabia has also expanded its tourism ambitions after reaching its earlier target of 100 million tourists in 2023, seven years ahead of schedule. But behind the spectacular events and billion-dollar investments are bigger questions. Who benefits most from Saudi Arabia’s entertainment boom? Can the strategy create lasting jobs, attract international spending, and keep Saudi money at home? And what does the growing gap between luxury experiences and everyday incomes reveal about the country’s economic transformation? #SaudiArabia #RiyadhSeason #Vision2030 #SaudiEntertainment #Riyadh #SaudiArabiaNews #SaudiTourism #EntertainmentIndustry #TysonFury #OleksandrUsyk #Boxing #GlobalEconomy #TourismGrowth #MiddleEast #EconomicTransformation~HT.410~PR.462~VG.HM~

Published Oct 25,2026

Category Video  /  News