The cultural and economic reforms undergone by Saudi Arabia since 2016 are perhaps most visible in the entertainment sector. For over three decades entertainment and cultural outlets, such as cinemas, art galleries and theatres, were banned. So too were artistic practices including film-making and live music. Since being elevated to a position of executive importance, however, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has lifted restrictions and targeted the creation of a vibrant arts and entertainment scene as a means to propel tourism, improve the quality of life for citizens and raise international awareness of Saudi Arabia’s increasingly open economy.
This chapter contains an interview with Turki Alalshikh, Chairman, General Entertainment Authority.
Tourism
Chapter | Entertainment from The Report: Saudi Arabia 2022
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The economy of Kuwait has long been underpinned by the production and export of crude oil. Although the rise in energy prices in 2021-22 boosted government revenue and macroeconomic stability, the Covid-19 pandemic, which preceded the commodity price boom, underscored the risk of over-reliance on an industry subject to fluctuating global demand. This has created fresh impetus for economic diversification, with robust public finances providing a strong platform to...
Chapter | Entertainment from The Report: Saudi Arabia 2022
The cultural and economic reforms undergone by Saudi Arabia since 2016 are perhaps most visible in the entertainment sector. For over three decades entertainment and cultural outlets, such as cinemas, art galleries and theatres, were banned. So too were artistic practices including film-making and live music. Since being elevated to a position of executive importance, however, Crown Prince...
Saudi Arabia is rolling out a broad range of tourism offerings across the country as a central part of its Vision 2030 national transformation strategy. Following the launch of the tourist visa programme in September 2019 and the subsequent downturn from the Covid-19 pandemic, 2021 and 2022 have witnessed an ambitious calendar of events ranging from the Formula 1 Grand Prix to arts and...
Saudi Arabia has undergone significant reforms to foster growth and diversification. While some initiatives were delayed during the Covid-19 pandemic, progress in areas such as the digital economy accelerated. Aided by elevated oil prices in 2022, strategies underlined in Vision 2030 continue moving forwards, and the Kingdom today presents ample opportunities for foreign investors, underpinned by efforts to boost private sector participation in the economy.
Côte d’Ivoire aims to establish tourism as the third pillar of its economy, with a target of attracting 5m foreign tourists per year and creating 700,000 jobs in the sector by 2025. These goals seek to build on the substantial gains the sector has made since the political and security situation stabilised in 2012. Tourism has grown steadily in the subsequent years, with international tourist...
After achieving a region-leading economic recovery in the decade since political stability was established, future growth and industrialisation strategy will continue to be shaped by the National Development Plan 2021-25, which constitutes a holistic approach to achieving emerging market status and meaningful poverty reduction by 2030.