Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Entertainment vowed to provide some 200,000 job opportunities and to contribute 133 billion dollars to the annual national income by 2030. In May 2016, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz ordered the formation of the authority in a move that was welcomed by many Saudis who demand more entertainment activities in the country.

More so, the announcement was made amid verification being given by the tourism authority on its sector creating another 300,000 jobs as well. Dr. Hatem Samman, Executive Director of Strategy at the General Authority for Entertainment, presented a roadmap for the entertainment industry during an opening session of a Jeddah-held forum.

He stressed the importance of building an integrated system of entertainment services across all Saudi cities and regions according to a regulated framework and system of governance, activating and diversifying the role of the private sector. Samman also pointed that a study covering recreational services provided in 14 Saudi cities has been carried out—research recommendations will help outline the best experiences available in the kingdom and help expand them nationwide.

He also called on the community to be patient with the body’s procedures. “During this brief period, the Authority has succeeded in playing a pivotal role in organizing the various events in all the cities of the Kingdom, despite the challenges it faces in light of the lack of options for entertainment,” he added.

Secretary General of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hassan Dahlan, who was the forum’s moderator, described the entertainment body as “the joy icon”. The third session at the entertainment-oriented forum discussed the role of social media in promoting tourism and entertainment. The fourth session dealt with the role of Jeddah Municipality in the development of the tourism and leisure industry.