Publisher Martin Palicki checks out the Saudi show promising to deliver big for the future of KSA
With the clock continuing to advance on the Saudi Vision 2030 plan, all eyes were on the Saudi Entertainment and Attractions (SEA) Expo, held in Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) May 7-9, 2024. Movement advances on many fronts. Six Flags Qiddiya City is expected to open in 2025, while neighboring waterpark Aquarabia was just formally announced; Dragon Ball theme park should be going to tender soon. Unfortunately, the BBC also recently reported that lethal force is being used to clear out communities in the way of NEOM’s The Line project.
It was upon this backdrop that the expo opened with high expectations to be even bigger and better than the previous year. By initial accounts – and my own feelings – the show indeed surpassed the 2023 version. A larger trade show floor, shared with the Saudi Light and Sound (SLS) Expo, hosted new exhibitors and more attendees, with reports from vendors indicating meetings with clients and buyers were happening throughout the week.
My week began by having a lovely dinner at Najd Village with Legacy Entertainment’s Eric Carnagey and Taylor Jeffs. Featuring traditional Saudi dishes served while you lounge on beautiful carpets, Najd Village is theming, culture and food all wrapped up in one. As first-time exhibitors at SEA Expo, Eric and Taylor later reported the event a worthwhile investment, with several local projects in development.
The first day of the show began with the Themed Entertainment Association’s (TEA) EMEA division hosting a luncheon, sponsored by Top Notch Engineering Consultants and Cundall. For me, the event was like a reunion, having not seen many TEA folks since November’s IAAPA Expo. There were also many new faces I had the pleasure of meeting, including Brian Andrelczyk, who recently signed on with EXP to direct their new KSA office.
Expo organizers also presented a robust education summit across two show floor theaters, one on the SEA side and one on the SLS side, although topics appropriate for themed entertainment were programmed for both venues. The format was predominantly panel-based, marketed as “Think Tank” sessions. While many of the sessions I attended were interesting, I hope organizers (and volunteers!) explore different session types (TED-style talks, roundtables, etc.) as well as expand the pool of speakers. There was a fair amount of overlap from 2023’s roster. Of course, a lot of that depends on new industry professionals being willing to take the time to put together presentations.
Neil Dwyer (Six Flags Qiddiya City) moderated a panel with Damien Latham (SEVEN) and Majed Aleid (Ministry of Investment, Saudi Arabia). According to Aleid, in order to seek entertainment, Saudis tend to leave the country. Currently, citizens spend about 3-4% on leisure, and the government’s focus on entertainment is aimed at moving that up to 6%, capturing more of that money within the Kingdom. He also indicated the government’s investment plan is working, with private companies clamoring to get a spot during Riyadh Season events. Aleid said that only 10% of Riyadh Season is government supported and the rest comes from private investment.
Although much of the focus has been on destination projects within the country, KSA is also investing in pop-up events that can easily be exported to other countries, bringing Saudi culture, events and attractions to new places. Latham said that’s one reason why SEVEN has been focused on creating home-grown IP that can be used to create an appetite for characters and experiences outside of KSA.
Aleid closed by saying one of the Vision 2030 targets is to have 150 million visitors. About 30-40 million of that will be religious tourism, and KSA hopes to capture a good portion of those visitors for cultural and entertainment experiences as well.
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Another session with Ghassan M. Assi (Trampo Extreme) and Louis Alfieri (Raven Sun Creative) on the blending of design, technology and storytelling brought out one of the more memorable comments of the week. In response to a question from an audience member about the downsides of rushing projects in KSA, Assi said the speed of work will continue to be fast. While the money is flowing, he said, there will continue to be a short timeframe for delivery. When the money stops flowing, then there will be a slower pace. Remember Dubai of 2007, he said, when the funding was turned off like a faucet. That will happen here too, at some point.
When that happens is anyone’s guess, although it seems reasonable to expect that with Expo 2030 secured for Riyadh, projects will continue full throttle for at least the next six years. As Assi put it, referencing the session’s focus, the current break-neck speed is a story of its own – a story of a country rising to meet the expectation of a Vision 2030.
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This year also afforded more opportunities for exploration outside of the exhibit hall. After the second night I traveled with Mason Schmitz (P+A Projects) to Boulevard City for a special event at the new WWE Experience. Hosted by TAIT and Blue Telescope, guests were invited to explore the attraction after enjoying refreshments and a rousing welcome from Amin Rashmani (TAIT) and Trent Oliver (Blue Telescope).
While some of the memorabilia displays will appeal primarily to WWE fans, the two main experiences are accessible and enjoyable for those without a strong interest in professional wrestling. The Undertaker’s Graveyard Escape puts a small group of guests in a large, highly themed cemetery with a series of puzzles that need to be solved in eight minutes. Once all are completed, guests solve one final puzzle on The Undertaker’s Mausoleum to earn their escape. The games range in complexity, and while some of the challenges required help from the attendants, the experience was fun and well executed.
After a bit of hemming and hawing, Mason and I decided to try the other main attraction: Become a Superstar. Even nonwrestling fans are familiar with the dramatic and over-the-top entrances staged by the WWE superstars. Never one to shy away from a feather boa or leather jacket, I approached a large touch screen to input my new wrestler name and pick music and theme packages. Once those were selected, I was off to costuming. An assortment of everything from shiny capes to spiky wigs was available, and after a few minutes in front of the mirror, I was ready for my debut. An attraction attendant gave me the quick rundown: I’d have (what seemed at that moment an agonizing) 22 seconds to round the corner on the stage and proceed down the ramp to my waiting fans, all while my selected music blared, cheers echoed through the hall, lights flashed and bursts of CO2 framed my entrance.
Naturally, I had a whole plan. As “The Scribe” I whipped out my pen and notebook (never far away on work trips) and scribbled out victory over my future opponents, all while trying to appear super-sporty. The 22 seconds were over in a flash and I have to admit it was really fun! In talking with Trent about Blue Telescope’s work on the Superstar experience, I confessed that I was reluctant to try it but so happy that I did. She mentioned that during normal operation, guests can purchase a video of their WWE debut. Or they can watch it in 4K on screens near the attraction that replay it for all to see.
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After the final evening of SEA Expo, I returned to Boulevard City with longtime industry colleague and friend Julien Causeret (CRYSTAL) to try out one of the other major attractions there: House of Hype. As soon as we arrived I was reminded of one of the week’s panelists who suggested that the guest experience really begins when they go to buy a ticket. Our experience started out rocky. The ticketing experience is convoluted. Tickets are not available for sale in person at the site. We had to download an app that is used for many Saudi attractions, then purchase the tickets, then go over to a kiosk, scan our ticket QR codes (the first kiosk didn’t work so we had to try another kiosk), get our wristbands, have our tickets scanned again by a worker, and then we could go in. To be fair, a very kind and courteous employee helped guide us through the process, but it seemed unnecessarily complicated and time-consuming.
The actual experience seemed reminiscent of Meow Wolf Las Vegas, particularly the fake grocery store items available for sale. Most of the rooms were some permutation of projection mapping, LED lighting, mirrors, or all three together. A cohesive storyline wasn’t obvious to me – it seemed more like a collection of unconnected art pieces. At the same time, there were possibly a few narrative threads. After journeying through a city streetscape, a few rooms later we were suddenly in a back alley. Interspersed throughout were tiny shops selling packaged food items and small souvenirs.
The main disappointment was that all the interactive elements were not working. One employee informed us of this fact in the second room of the experience, but all the interactives in the Hyperarcade at the end of the attraction were also inoperable. Hopefully this was only a temporary problem.
Although the whole experience felt a bit disjointed, it seemed like a relatively good use of time, and a decent value for the cost (~$25). It was a nice artsy end to a week full of business.
On my final day in Riyadh I ventured out to Diriyah – and I have to say it helped me to better understand the country’s plan for merging entertainment, culture and history together in KSA. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, Diriyah showcases the first Saudi state and highlights the cultural underpinnings of Saudi Arabia. It also offers a sense of luxury and refinement with the adjacent Bujairi Terrace selection of restaurants, all perfectly positioned to take in views of the ruins across the Wadi valley.
While wayfinding was a bit complicated, staff were readily available and very helpful with directions. Museum exhibits were largely static, but the way they were integrated into the ruins was decidedly dynamic and, more importantly, interesting.
I visited in the late afternoon, and while initially there were very few other tourists there, by the time I left, just after sunset, the area was coming alive, both with lighting and local families enjoying a night out. Unfortunately, I was not able to stay for the projection-mapped show on the walls of the ruins, but I imagine the experience provides an informative and entertaining nightcap to a distinctly Saudi experience. •
