Riyadh expo reveals the future of family entertainment

Saudi Arabia provided an insight into the future of family entertainment, with the Saudi Entertainment and Amusement expo revealing the biggest disruptors in the industry, and showing how technology will shape developments in the rapidly growing market.

As the expo concluded on Thursday, Daniel Hudson, global head of commercial and business development at Embed, told Arab News: “It’s an exciting time for the amusement and FEC (family entertainment centers) industry in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. The Saudi market is so dynamic that we are seeing the emergence of both standalone entertainment offerings and giga-projects underway, with the FECs as the core entertainment offering.”

A family entertainment center, also known as an indoor amusement park, family amusement center, family fun center, soft play, or simply fun center, is a small amusement park marketed toward families with young children to teenagers, often entirely indoors.

“Under Saudi Vision 2030, building Saudi Arabia’s Quality of Life Program through vibrant experiences in tourism, hospitality, and family entertainment puts us in a strategic position to help realize the goal through our cashless solutions. The Saudi market is so vast that there is room for both the continuous development of FECs and the emergence of IP themed FECs. The sector will stay important, and is in fact one of the reasons why the FECs in the region are evolving,” said Hudson.

Referring to Embed’s clients and work in Saudi Arabia, he said: “We have the first-mover advantage as one of the earliest cashless system providers in the Kingdom, with our long-time client over 10 years old.”

He said that Embed’s commitment to Saudi Vision 2030, along with its local partners, shows the quality of its presence in the Kingdom.

“We have a lot of esteemed customers in Saudi Arabia, and Sala Entertainment is one of them, with over 40 locations running on the Embed system,” he said.

The three-day expo at the Riyadh Front featured hundreds of entertainment brands from across the globe, with firms from over 40 countries showcasing their industry-disrupting products.