RIYADH — The number of visitors to Saudi Arabia’s entertainment sector has surpassed 89 million during the year 2025, according to the General Entertainment Authority (GEA).
The authority said in its annual report for the regulatory affairs sector for 2025 that the total number of licenses issued last year reached 6,490. In addition, 472 entertainment destinations were licensed during the year, compared to 422 destinations in 2024, representing a 12 percent increase. The total number of active entertainment destinations reached 975, compared to 513 destinations in 2024.
These figures reflect the scale of activity and growth witnessed by the entertainment sector, within a regulatory framework aimed at enhancing experience quality, strengthening compliance, and developing related procedures.
The report highlighted that the entertainment sector hosted 1,690 events, with a total of 75,661 event days, and the participation of 6,778 companies across sector activities during 2025.
At the level of compliance and experience quality indicators, the report showed 92 percent investor compliance with GEA regulations across all licensed activities. It also recorded 95 percent for licensed entertainment events, while the percentage of licensed entertainment destinations reached 93 percent. The sector further achieved a 65 percent improvement in the quality of entertainment options and 74 percent coverage in measuring visitor satisfaction across entertainment offerings.
In terms of oversight and violation reduction, the report noted increased investor awareness and higher compliance levels across the sector, which led to a decline in recorded violations from 6,290 violations in 2024 to 4,662 violations in 2025, representing a 25.8 percent decrease. In addition, 92,025 inspection visits were conducted across all administrative regions of the Kingdom.
With regard to visitor experience measurement, the total number of responses collected through visitor satisfaction surveys exceeded 755,000 responses, while the overall satisfaction index for entertainment activities covered by the measurement reached 95 percent. More than 9,400 field survey visits were also conducted across various entertainment activities as part of ongoing monitoring and evaluation efforts.
Within the classification framework, the number of investors included in the classification scope reached 1,132 investors, with 1,132 certificates issued. The program also saw the development of 27 standards, the implementation of 3,530 field visits, and the completion of two workshops targeting investors within the classification scope, benefiting more than 200 participants.
In the area of policies, partnerships, and consumer protection, the report indicated that 5,831 complaints, 1,728 objections, and 1,145 reports were handled during the year 2025. It also noted the update to the authority’s legislative environment draft and its submission to the Istitlaa public survey platform, as well as alignment efforts with 45 government entities.
It is noteworthy that the General Entertainment Authority is the regulatory and legislative body for the entertainment sector in the Kingdom, working to develop the regulatory environment, raise compliance levels, enhance the quality of services and entertainment experiences, and empower investors.
These efforts align with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which aim to diversify the economy, improve the quality of life, and develop promising sectors, reinforcing the Kingdom’s position as a global entertainment destination.
Source: Saudi Gazette