A new home of sport in the Middle East

JEDDAH: Of all Saudi Arabia’s cities, few enjoy the enormous profile and popularity like that of Jeddah.

A major urban center and the Kingdom’s commercial capital, ‘The Bride of the Red Sea’ has long been a renowned regional attraction and quickly becoming an iconic international destination, melding history with modernity, welcoming millions of visitors annually.

Jeddah’s story is, however, far from its conclusion, for a new, exciting chapter has only just begun.

As Saudi Arabia’s remarkable transformation through sport has accelerated and the nation’s openness and collaboration with the world has advanced, Jeddah has assumed a starring role in the Kingdom’s evolution, emerging as one of the Middle East’s new homes of sport in the process.

A sports events epicenter

For a better understanding of Jeddah’s rise to stardom on the regional sporting stage, one can look back to 2016 when ‘Vision 2030’ was launched.

The Kingdom’s strategic plan for nationwide transformation, Vision 2030 is the embodiment of the Kingdom’s plan not only for achieving economic diversification, but also implementing far-reaching social and lifestyle changes by promoting physical wellbeing through the staging of sporting events.

Sports have always been embraced by the Saudi and wider Middle Eastern communities – and Jeddah has tapped into the limitless potential of these markets in recent years, flourishing as a modern sports events and entertainment hub.

Nationally, Saudi Arabia’s sports event industry is growing by 8% per year and will reach $3.3 billion by 2024 – a $1.2 billion increase from $2.1 billion in 2018.

And crucially, Jeddah has made glowing contributions as an epicenter of activity, captivating audiences, inspiring new