His Excellency lifted the General Entertainment Authority's (GEA) high praise for Riyadh 2025. His Excellency extended his thanks and gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - may God protect them - for their great support for the entertainment sector and enabling it to be a major economic tributary and a pillar of quality of life within the Kingdom's Vision 2030.

<This came at the beginning of the 26th government press conference held yesterday in Riyadh, in the presence of His Excellency the Minister of Information, Mr. Salman bin Yousef Al Dosari, and a number of Their Excellencies and officials. The latest edition of Riyadh Season 2024 represented a new stage of growth in the entertainment sector, with the number of visitors exceeding 20 million visitors from more than 135 countries, more than 3,300 international media visits, and more than 110 billion media impressions on global platforms, reflecting the season's wide international presence and Riyadh's advanced position among the most attractive capitals for international events.

Riyadh's latest edition of Riyadh Season 2024 marked a new stage of growth in the entertainment sector, with the number of visitors exceeding (20) million visitors from more than (135) countries.

3.2 billion dollars in brand value

Al-Sheikh emphasized that this edition of the Riyadh Season has become one of the most prominent entertainment brands in the Middle East and the world. He emphasized that this year's edition includes (11) main entertainment zones covering the capital Riyadh, including (15) international championships and (34) exhibitions and festivals, with the participation of more than (2100) companies in various fields, with (95%) local companies, through (4200) contracts concluded with the private sector, reflecting the empowerment of national competencies and enhancing the contribution of the private sector in supporting the local economy.

Riyadh, the capital of Riyadh, will be one of the largest entertainment venues in the Middle East and the world.

Strengthening the Kingdom's position in the entertainment industry

The Chancellor pointed out that Riyadh Season 2025 strengthens the Kingdom's leadership in the entertainment industry by hosting major international events that make Riyadh the entertainment capital of the region, stressing that this edition will be the focus of the attention of the global entertainment industry, thanks to major events and conferences such as the Joy Forum, which will be held on October 16 and 17 in the Boulevard City, and will host the world's most prominent entertainment creators, including American content creator Mr. Best, UFC President Dana White, sports legend Jon Jones, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, American TV host and investor Diamond John, Indian actor and director Aamir Khan, and a host of other prominent international entertainment figures.

He added that the new season offers unprecedented global partnerships, the most prominent of which is the cooperation with the American content creator "Mr. Best" by creating the "Best Land“ area, which extends over an area of 200,000 square meters, and includes more than (27) games and experiences and more than (40) restaurants and shops, in addition to interactive awards and challenges for the audience, in an experience that is the first of its kind in the world.

Global Major Events

As part of attracting major international events, His Excellency announced that Riyadh Season will host the ”Royal Rumble“ global wrestling event, which will be held for the first time outside the North American continent, confirming the season's commitment to attracting the most prominent international events, with the aim of making the Kingdom an international center for major entertainment events.

Al Al-Sheikh explained that the Riyadh Season will attract major international events. Al Shaikh explained that Boulevard World will accompany the 2025 season with upgraded content that includes more than (1,600) stores and shops, (350) restaurants and cafes, (40) games and experiences, and (24) sub-zones, including three completely new zones: Kuwait, South Korea and Indonesia.

Al Shaikh explained that Boulevard World will also feature 24 sub-zones, including three completely new zones: Kuwait, South Korea and Indonesia.

Al Shaikh added that the Boulevard World area will also feature a new theme park. Boulevard City will also witness a rich entertainment content including (8) sports tournaments such as Power Slap 17, The Ring V, P1 Riyadh Season Championship, Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, Saudi Darts Masters and King's Cup MENA, in addition to (19) entertainment experiences including (6) new experiences such as Minecraft and Puppy Playtime, (20) Arabic music concerts and (14) new theaters.

He added. He added: ”Flying Over Saudi Arabia, which promotes tourism in various regions of the Kingdom, will also be held, an experience that has been worked on for three years to produce this distinctive version, as it allows 90 people at the same time to experience an interactive experience to visit a number of regions of the Kingdom remotely.“ He pointed out that the Snicker Con will be held at Boulevard City for the second year in a row after the success it achieved in its previous edition, while the car show will be held at Kingdom Arena, offering 50 cars as prizes to the public.

The car show will be held at Kingdom Arena, offering a total of 50 cars as prizes to the public.

At Via Riad, the ”I am Arabia“ exhibition continues its success every year, offering a wide range of distinctive products through multiple pavilions representing a number of Arab countries.

His Excellency explained that the exhibition will be held for the second consecutive year after the success of the previous edition. His Excellency explained that The Groves is one of the most prominent high-end destinations of the season. This year, the area brings together seven high-end restaurants and 16 shops and boutiques that provide visitors with an exceptional shopping experience in an elegant atmosphere.

Riyadh Season 2025. International theaters

On the artistic side, a number of Saudi, Kuwaiti, Qatari, Emirati and Syrian theaters continue. On the artistic side, the season continues to host the Joy Awards in its new edition in 2026, which is one of the largest artistic awards in the region, and honors a group of creators in the fields of drama, music, art and others.

On the artistic side, the season continues to host the Entertainment Makers Awards (Joy Awards) in its new version in 2026. <In the context of major events, Al-Sheikh announced the continuation of international tournaments that proved successful in previous seasons, such as the ”Six Kings Slam“ tennis tournament, the “Ring IV” boxing tournament, and the ”WBC Grand Prix“ tournament, whose qualifiers were held in Riyadh and included boxers from more than (40) countries. This year's season will also see the American football game ”Fantastic Flag Football Classic“ with the participation of American football legend Tom Brady and a host of stars, scheduled to be held on March 21, 2026 at the Kingdom Arena.
His Excellency pointed out that the Riyadh season also witnesses the launch of new areas, most notably the ”Boulevard Flowers“ area, which extends over an area of (215) thousand square meters, and includes more than (200) million flowers, (200) floral models, (3) Boeing 777 aircraft, and (40) restaurants and cafes, forming a huge artistic painting that reflects natural beauty and artistic innovation at the same time. In the ”Anb Arena“ area, the ”Jewelry Salon“ exhibition, which comes from outside the Kingdom, will be held. He also emphasized that the season will witness the introduction of the first mobile cruise area in its history under the name ”Aurea Cruise“, which offers a unique experience on the Red Sea, including (14) different marine destinations, (29) restaurants and cafes, (10) spa and fitness facilities, and (20) entertainment areas on board the ship, making it an integrated destination for entertainment and luxury hospitality.

<He pointed out that the season aims to reach all segments of society through the development of family content, as the Riyadh Zoo has been developed to include more than (1600) animals from (170) species distributed over (6) indoor areas, and provide educational and interactive experiences for children and families, while Al Suwaidi Park will continue to offer events that include (1600) animals from (170) species distributed over (6) indoor areas. Al Suwaidi Park will continue to present its events that include (13) different cultures, hosting the countries of Yemen, Sudan, Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, through (49) concerts, (84) theater performances and (100) carnivals.

His Excellency explained that the Riyadh Season in its sixth edition continues to contribute to supporting the national economy by providing wide and diverse job opportunities, as the number of direct jobs provided by the season this year exceeded (25) thousand jobs, while indirect jobs reached more than (100) thousand jobs, including multiple fields in organization, operation, production and services. This comes within the season's keenness to empower national competencies, strengthen local supply chains, support national companies, and expand cooperation with government agencies, which reflects on the growth and sustainability of the sector and raise the quality of experiences provided to visitors from inside and outside the Kingdom.

In terms of social responsibility, he pointed out that the season has a great potential to contribute to the growth and sustainability of the sector and to raise the quality of the experiences provided to visitors from inside and outside the Kingdom. In terms of social responsibility, the Chancellor noted that Riyadh Season pays special attention to community initiatives. Last year, the ”Night of a Lifetime" initiative was implemented in cooperation with community service sponsors, and achieved a great humanitarian impact.

He added. He added that the season will work this year to study and develop the initiative to launch it at a later date, while announcing its details and date on time, as coordination with sponsors is underway to ensure its greater success.

He stressed that Riyadh Season pays special attention to community initiatives. He emphasized that Riyadh Season 2025 will be a milestone in the history of the entertainment industry in the region and the world, stressing that Riyadh is now the address of the new era of entertainment and the center of attention of arts and creativity makers around the world.

Riyadh Season 2025 will be a milestone in the history of the entertainment industry in the region and the world. In response to questions from journalists, H.E. Turki bin Abdul Mohsen Al Sheikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, said that the season represents a qualitative leap in the Kingdom's entertainment industry and embodies the national ambition to enhance the Kingdom's position as a global destination for culture, arts and entertainment, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

In response to a question, H.E. Al Sheikh said that the season will be a milestone in the history of the entertainment industry in the region and the world. In response to a question about the need for a specialized channel to cover entertainment events, His Excellency explained that the Authority has adopted an innovative partnership model with major media organizations to ensure the wide spread of events locally and internationally, stressing that this approach allows focusing on developing Riyadh Season as a major entertainment platform and ensures providing a distinct media experience to the public, without the need to establish an independent channel.

Riyadh Season is a major platform for entertainment and ensures a distinctive media experience for the public, without the need to establish an independent channel. Regarding the expansion of the season's events to other regions, His Excellency explained that each region in the Kingdom has its own seasonal plans, stressing that the Authority's focus is on providing an integrated and distinctive experience in the Riyadh Season, reflecting the Kingdom's entertainment identity at the global level and enhancing the quality of events and the richness of their content.

With regard to future goals, H.E. Al Sheikh explained that all the goals set by the Authority since the launch of Riyadh Season have been achieved, noting that work is underway to prepare a new strategy for future seasons, including developing events, strengthening partnerships, and empowering national competencies, to ensure that the season remains a global platform for creativity and entertainment.

H.E. Al Sheikh added that the Riyadh Season will continue to be a global platform for creativity and entertainment. <He added that Riyadh Season has become a global icon that is recognized around the world, and that the Saudi experience has become a model to be emulated regionally and internationally.
Regarding the integration of national talents in international events, His Excellency stressed that all work teams behind the scenes include young Saudi talents working in production, directing and organization, stressing that the season aims to develop these talents and give them the opportunity to gain international experience, to ensure the provision of distinguished content that meets the expectations of local and international audiences.

Riyadh Season. In response to a question about the major projects within the season, His Excellency explained that the Authority is implementing cinematic works that highlight the heroism of the Saudi security men and the Saudi army, with the participation of Saudi youth in various positions, ensuring the transfer of experience and enhancing national capabilities in the entertainment content industry, stressing that all initiatives and projects aim to empower national competencies and develop the Kingdom's entertainment industry.

Regarding the economic and social impact of the season, His Excellency emphasized that the Riyadh 2025 season provides more than 25,000 direct jobs and more than 100,000 indirect jobs, explaining that the exact figures of the economic impact will be announced at the end of the season as they are related to variable indicators during the implementation period, stressing the role of the season in enhancing economic activity in the services, hospitality and logistics sectors and supporting national companies to ensure that the entire community benefits.

About the participation of Chinese artists and the participation of Saudi youth from different countries. On the participation of Chinese artists in the season and measures to facilitate the arrival of foreign visitors, His Excellency explained that the Kingdom celebrates annually with the brotherly country of China, noting that the Chinese zone on the Boulevard is one of the most attractive areas for visitors, as it displays all Chinese products and receives a wide turnout.

He added that there is the participation of Chinese artists in the season. He added that this year there will be a distinguished participation of the most prominent Chinese artists in an Arabic film titled "Duke's Ships“ and Chinese artists will participate in ”Joy“ events, noting that the Kingdom has previously hosted international stars such as Jackie Chan, and that the Authority is working to organize joint boxing fights with China, reflecting the season's keenness on cultural and artistic diversity and promoting international creative exchange.

His Excellency concluded. His Excellency concluded his speech by stressing that Riyadh Season 2025 represents an exceptional Saudi experience that combines creativity, organization and excellence, and puts the Kingdom on the global map of entertainment, stressing that the season is not just a celebration, but a continuous platform for creativity, empowering national competencies, and creating an integrated entertainment experience that inspires the world and confirms the international status reached by the Kingdom in the fields of arts and entertainment.

He concluded his speech by stressing that Riyadh Season 2025 is an exceptional Saudi experience that combines creativity, organization and excellence, and puts the Kingdom on the global map of entertainment.