RIYADH: People development is the buzzword echoing among some of the region’s top event management operators and their international counterparts at the International Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions Summit in Riyadh.
Debbie Kristiansen, senior vice president of venue development and operations at Oak View Group Middle East, spoke to Arab News about the group’s regional expansion and the opening of its first Riyadh office.
Debbie Kristiansen, senior vice president of venue development and operations at Oak View Group Middle East. AN photo by Huda Bashatah
Participating in the summit for the second time, Kristiansen noted it has “grown tremendously,” with more industry peers coming together this year.
“For me, it’s about meeting new people within Saudi Arabia, networking with my peers and industry colleagues,” she said.
With over 500 venues under its management worldwide, Oak View is now exploring opportunities in the Kingdom, using its Riyadh office as a home base. Kristiansen emphasized that one of the group’s key commitments is uplifting the local community through mentoring and skill development for young Saudi nationals.
“So, we looked at the Saudization program, the Nitaqat program, and the different levels. And we’ve already made a commitment to achieve the platinum level, which is the 44.02 percent.
“But we want to go above and beyond that because we believe that it’s important to create a sustainable workforce and create a long-term legacy.”
Youth engagement and training the next generation of venue leaders and managers is among the group’s highest priorities.
“It’s important for us to give back,” she stated.
Having lived in the region for the past 21 years, Kristiansen said she was “so impressed by the tremendous growth and the opportunity and how fast the pace has been in just the last five years.”
Witnessing that growth convinced her that Saudi Arabia is the ideal place to expand Oak View’s presence further.
“It’s really inspirational to see, and we’re very excited to be part of that future journey.”
Abdullah Al-Hazzaa, CEO of Al Diriyah Solution consulting firm. AN photo by Huda Bashatah
On the sidelines of the summit, Abdullah Al-Hazzaa, CEO of Al Diriyah Solution consulting firm, signed an agreement with the Saudi Exhibition and Conferences Association to support event companies in both the public and private sectors.
“Once we have honesty with our clients and with our community, that is what will drive our goals in the right direction,” Al-Hazzaa said.
Al Diriyah Solutions has two projects in the pipeline for next year: a partnership with a German company entering the Saudi market, and community-building training programs. The latter will be free of charge for participants and focus on soft skills development to improve quality of life and prepare students for future employment.
“What are we going to do (voluntarily) is to support the community around us. For example, we have some people who are still university students, so we want to train them, to give them our full support until they graduate.
“(That way), they will have good job,” he stated.
Mahmoud Alawadi, CEO of Thalath International Co. AN photo by Huda Bashatah
Mahmoud Alawadi, CEO of Thalath International Co., shared similar views, highlighting one of the company’s initiatives — the upcoming fourth edition of the International Exhibition for the Nonprofit Sector in May.
The exhibition, the first of its kind, will bring together participants from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to collaborate on solutions and ideas for the nonprofit market. More than 15 sectors will be represented, including charitable foundations and financial institutions.
Another project by the company is the Saudi International Exhibition for Animal Protection, scheduled in Al-Qassim in two months.
“We are here at MICE to get good collaboration with new partners, international partners, and communicate with organizers on both the local and global level,” Alawadi said.
The nonprofit exhibition is also set to hold its first edition outside the Kingdom at the end of 2026 in Washington, DC.
Alawadi stressed the importance of supporting projects and “new fields” like these due to their economic impact and contribution to enhancing social welfare.
