Page 17 - LOGIC Consulting PR Report JUNE - JULY 2024

Regarding the cultural sector, El Ghorab added: “Saudi Vision 2030 focuses on three key
elements: a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation. The vision's objectives
for the cultural sector include preserving and promoting the Islamic, Arab, and national heritage
of the Kingdom. This will increase KSA’s contribution to arts and culture, developing and
diversifying entertainment opportunities to meet the needs of the population, as well as
bolstering the Kingdom's position as a distinguished global destination for tourism and culture."

The study highlighted the Kingdom's commitment to developing a sustainable entertainment
sector that enhances the quality of life for residents and visitors as well as elevates lifestyles
across various regions of the Kingdom. This sector has become an economic driver contributing
to economic diversification. The study also pointed out Saudi Arabia's significant efforts in this
sector, which has undergone a profound transformation with rapid growth and an increasing
number of entertainment events. The entertainment market reached approximately SAR 8.7
billion in 2023, and projections indicate that the sector will grow at a compound annual growth
rate of 10.44% to reach a market size of SAR 14.4 billion by 2028.

The General Entertainment Authority (GEA) is one of the key components of the Saudi Vision
2030. It was established in 2016 with the aim of developing and regulating the entertainment
sector and supporting its infrastructure. Since its inception, it has licensed over 4,500 facilities
specialising in recreational activities and related activities across various fields in more than 100
cities across the Kingdom. These licenses include 645 facilities providing entertainment utility
services, 1,579 restaurants and cafes with live shows, 1,206 organisations specialising in event
management, and 393 facilities for crowd management and administration.

The study also emphasised the Kingdom’s commitment to enhancing its national identity
through ‘Saudi Vision 2030’ and promoting its rich cultural heritage. It highlighted the Ministry of
Culture’s efforts to drive the cultural sector’s growth and enhance its role in contributing to the
national economy. The Ministry further aims to increase the sector’s contribution to 3% of the
Kingdom’s GDP by 2030. To achieve these goals, the Ministry has launched various cultural
initiatives and programs as part of a strategic approach that integrates culture into everyday life
and drives economic growth. Additionally, the Ministry has established 11 cultural commissions,
each independently overseeing a specific cultural sector, to ensure efficient implementation of
the Ministry's vision and directives.

According to the study, these efforts have contributed to enhancing the “creative economy” to
become a significant economic driver in the Kingdom. In this context, the economic dimension
of culture in Saudi Arabia showed significant growth across various sectors in 2022 compared to
2021. Key economic indicators in the cultural sector denote that the number of cultural
professionals reached 181,709 across multiple occupations, representing 1.25% of the total
workforce in the Kingdom. Indirect cultural professions accounted for 1.7% of the Saudi labour
market, totalling 242,003 employees.

The study also highlighted the impact of the cultural and entertainment sectors on tourism,
reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s position as one of the most promising and attractive tourist
destinations globally. In 2023, Saudi Arabia topped the UN World Tourism list with the highest
growth rate in international tourist arrivals. Among the G20 nations, the Kingdom secured the

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