Saudi Arabia: A decade after Vision 2030 was unveiled, Saudi Arabia’s transformation is now being driven by its booming events industry, not just its infrastructure and giga-projects.

This sector is expanding rapidly, establishing the country as a leading global hub for tech and business.

The Kingdom has successfully attracted over 20 international event brands in recent years, alongside the opening of nearly 10 international representative offices for leading global companies and exhibitions.

This momentum is being channeled through a global exhibition and conference season, a structured period from October to May designed to concentrate a wave of international gatherings.

The coming months promise an even greater intensity with a pipeline of key events, following the success seen in Global Health Exhibition and the Future Investment Initiative.

From Nov. 17 to 20, Cityscape Global will unite real estate experts and investors in the Kingdom to drive growth and opportunity aligned with Vision 2030. 

The global cybersecurity community then converges in Riyadh from Dec. 2 for the three-day Black Hat MEA conference. Early next year, the renowned LEAP conference runs from Apr. 13 to 16, convening over 600 startups, 1,800 global tech brands, and 1,900 investors.

This lineup ensures Saudi Arabia remains a magnet for international professionals throughout the season. The curated season arrives at a time of growth for the sector. 

Saudi Arabia has emerged as one of the fastest-growing business event markets among the G20 nations, a fact underscored by over 17,000 business events held in a single year, an all-time regional high.

This boom is underpinned by robust infrastructure, an effective regulatory framework, and a significant expansion of venue capacity, with over 1 million sq. meters of additional space slated for development by 2030. 

Speaking to Arab News, Saudi economist Talat Hafiz emphasized that “the growth of the event industry has become one of Saudi Arabia’s key priorities,” as part of the Kingdom’s economic diversification efforts.

In another interview, Mike Champion, CEO of Tahaluf, said that the Kingdom is “now quickly filling the void” in the events sector that existed prior to the launch of Vision 2030 in 2016.

Tahaluf is a joint venture between Informa PLC, the Saudi Federation for Cyber Security, Programming and Drones and the Events Investment Fund. It has been strengthening the Kingdom’s events sector since 2023 by connecting global industry communities through its in-person and digital events.

Crucially, the human capital driving this revolution is homegrown. Supported by comprehensive training programs, Saudi professionals now account for nearly 20 percent of the global Certified in Exhibition Management certificate holders, one of the highest rates worldwide. This skilled workforce is a key asset, ensuring the sector’s growth is both sustainable and rooted in local expertise.

Hafiz noted that the strong momentum in Saudi Arabia’s event industry has generated thousands of job opportunities for Saudi nationals, playing a key role in lowering the Kingdom’s unemployment rate to a record 6.8 percent in the second quarter of 2025.

On this, Champion highlighted that Tahaluf has a 96 percent staff retention rate, fostering an environment that retains top talent and allows for continuous improvement. “I’ll stick by that as one of the most fundamental important reasons why Tahaluf has done so well,” he said.

To understand the landscape from the front lines, the CEO explained what makes an industry event shifting. “If an event is to shift industries, first and foremost, the event topic, the theme of that event has to be something that is a strategic theme,” he said, citing examples like Global Health Exhibition, Cityscape, and LEAP. 

Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of choosing strategic markets and maintaining close ties with the Saudi government and co-create events with them. By focusing only on sectors critical to Vision 2030, Tahaluf ensures its events have inherent importance and attract strategic companies and thought leaders.

Champion attributed Tahaluf’s rapid expansion to several factors. He stated that the company reinvests a substantial amount of its profits back into the quality of its events, rather than seeking excessive operating margins initially. 

“We’re flying them (speakers, guests) in at great expense, but we’re doing it because we understand that this is the sort of market that demands really high quality. So if you’re prepared to reinvest a substantial amount of the profits into creating a really big quality product, then that’s going to have a lot of traction in the Saudi market, because it’s a very sophisticated market.”

He noted that these events attract companies and thought leaders, and the announcements made there tend to have significant economic impacts. He revealed: “Over the last two years, since 2023, we’ve had $189 billion of strategic deals announced at our events.”

Detailing the tactical approach, Champion explained that Tahaluf focuses on curated exhibitions and is content-led, with large production departments dedicated to creating bespoke speaker faculties. He also described investor programs that help facilitate foreign direct investment by connecting international capital with major Saudi projects.

The CEO outlined the multi-faceted impact of these events, including direct economic impact, positive media sentiment, and acting as a catalyst for industries. “This year, we will bring in approximately 100,000 individuals from abroad into Saudi Arabia,” he said, adding that the calculated economic impact of their events from 2023 to 2025 will be $17.6 billion.

Hafiz explained that the rapid growth in the events sector is sustainable and not just temporary. “It has been noticed during the past few years, the significant and improvement in the sector in both the infrastructure and the diversity in the sector,” he said.

Looking ahead, Champion shared that the LEAP brand will be the first Saudi-made exhibition exported abroad, launching in Hong Kong. He also announced the launch of the BIO Middle East conference brand in Saudi Arabia, co-located with the CPHI pharma event.

On the company’s financial performance, he noted: “We’re doing very strongly, our revenues will finish this year well over $200 million,” with growth trending at 38-40 percent year on year. 

Regarding the prospect of an initial public offering, the CEO said: “I wouldn’t rule anything out over the next few years, because the market here is so interesting, it’s so good, but it’s an answer for shareholders to give.” 

Hafiz confirmed that the “flourishing landscape of the events industry has significantly strengthened international investors’ confidence in the local market.”  According to the economist, this is evidenced by the Kingdom’s emergence as a powerhouse for hosting and attracting thousands of events annually. 

“Last year alone, Riyadh Season attracted more than 20 million visitors and encouraged a number of foreign companies to invest in its activities,” he added.