JEDDAH: The Saudi government has announced the launch of a new initiative to boost the country’s entertainment sector and is looking for suitably talented individuals to take part.
Organized by the General Entertainment Authority, the so-called entertainment fellowship program will take a three-pronged approach to developing the sector based on destinations, activities and electronic entertainment.
The destinations element seeks to equip participants with the knowledge to operate entertainment venues, such as theme and amusement parks.
The activities segment focuses on building the skills needed to plan, organize and design large events like festivals and concerts, while the electronic entertainment element is concerned with the design, management and operation of competitions, tournaments and other such events.
The new program is part of the GEA’s “Makers of Happiness” initiative, which seeks to draw on the knowledge and skills of industry experts from around the world to develop the entertainment sector across the Kingdom.
Participants in the fellowship program, which runs for between six and eight months, will work with universities and entertainment companies around the world and have the opportunity to earn globally recognized qualifications.
Topics covered by the course include visitor experience design, logistics and supply chain management, crowd management and health services.
Applications are now being invited from suitably qualified people and those selected will have all of their expenses — including accommodation and travel — covered for the duration of the program.
The GEA was set up in 2016 as part of the Kingdom’s social and economic reforms. Since then it has issued almost 4,000 licenses and permits, allowing more than 2,500 companies to launch entertainment ventures, created more than $1 billion in profits and attracted over 75 million visitors.
In 2018, it was announced that Saudi Arabia planned to invest $64 billion in its entertainment sector over the coming decade.
