FaceOf: Amr Banaja, CEO of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority

Amr Banaja
Updated 02 March 2019
Follow

FaceOf: Amr Banaja, CEO of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority

  • He received a bachelor’s in economics from Boston College in the US in 1998

Amr Banaja has been the CEO of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA) since August 2018.

Speaking at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s 75th anniversary celebrations on Thursday, Banaja said that the GEA would work to build partnerships with firms in the private sector, to facilitate investment that could create over 200,000 jobs in the region by 2030.

He said: “The GEA will build new partnerships with private companies, and create seven new entertainment venues in Jeddah, Dammam, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, to give the companies a platform from which to prosper and expand.”

He received a bachelor’s in economics from Boston College in the US in 1998, and later attended executive training courses at the London School of Business and Finance in 2017, and Columbia University in 2018.

After returning to Saudi Arabia, he worked in a variety of sectors, including real estate, financial services and consumer goods. He also worked in several other Gulf nations, for organizations including Sama Dubai, National Commercial Bank, Unilever and Gillette.

In 2011 he joined the Saudi Economic and Development Co. (SEDCO) as a senior vice president.


France, Saudi collaborate on space for artists in Riyadh

Updated 16 January 2026
Follow

France, Saudi collaborate on space for artists in Riyadh

  • L’Institut francais, Riyadh Art will open La Fabrique on Feb. 22
  • ‘New cultural chapter’ between the nations, says France envoy

RIYADH: L’Institut francais in Saudi Arabia and Riyadh Art, an initiative of the city’s royal commission, have announced the opening of La Fabrique, a space for artists, on Jan. 22.

The project is based in the Riyadh Art Hub in JAX District and will enable Saudi and French artists to create, experiment, and bring their visions to life, according to a press release from the organizers.

La Fabrique also offers the public a rare opportunity to witness creative production including movement performances, digital and immersive arts, photography, music, cinema, cuisine and poetry.

At its core, La Fabrique fosters artistic exchange between French and Saudi artists, fostering new encounters, shared practices, and co-creation.

The initiative is aligned with the vision shared by French President Emmanuel Macron and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who have placed cultural cooperation at the heart of the renewed Saudi-French strategic partnership.

Anchored in the ambitions of Vision 2030, La Fabrique is a part of Riyadh’s transformation into a major international cultural hub.

Developed in cooperation with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture, the project strengthens the long-standing cultural dialogue between the two nations, the press release stated.

Patrick Maisonnave, ambassador of France to Saudi Arabia, said: “La Fabrique embodies the spirit of a new cultural chapter between France and Saudi Arabia.

“By bringing our artists together, we are not only sharing techniques and traditions, we are opening a space where imaginations meet, new forms emerge, and creativity becomes a bridge between our two societies.

“This initiative reflects our belief that artistic dialogue is one of the most powerful ways to build understanding, trust, and a shared future. It stands as a concrete example of France’s contribution to the ambitions of Vision 2030.”