SEVEN in talks with consultants for new Riyadh entertainment complex

Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN) is currently in talks with industry consultants, architects and designers for the recently announced entertainment complex in Riyadh.

Revealed in January of this year, the first of its kind entertainment complex will be built on a total area of nearly 100,000 square meters in the intersection of King Abdullah Road, with easy access to public transportation.

“At present, we are still at the conceptualization stage. We are speaking with world-class industry consultants in each relevant sector and world-leading architects and designers,” SEVEN CEO Bill Ernest told Argaam.

 “We will certainly be keeping all our stakeholders up to date with each and every exciting new aspect of the project. The area will be designed in accordance with the highest levels of urban architecture and include a variety of entertainment facilities,” he further continued during the interview.

When asked by Argaam, they declined to specify a date for completion.

Read: SEVEN plans to launch first entertainment complex in Riyadh

Ernest boasts of ambitious plans for SEVEN, highlighting the company’s recent tie-up with movie theatre company AMC Group.

“We have scheduled up to 50 screens to be open by 2022, and will be creating a whole new entertainment ecosystem for Saudi Arabia,” he noted.

According to him, the company also intends to build world-class offerings with reputable, reliable partners while offering tangible career opportunities.

“We are in talks with a number of companies, and our expert team is constantly searching for new, cutting edge partners to help us fulfil our nationwide ambitions within an incredibly short time frame,” Ernest said.

Read: Saudi Arabia to expand AMC Cinemas coverage to boost entertainment

Ernest urged Saudi Arabia’s educational establishments to offer more courses at undergraduate and graduate level in fields such as design, art, computing, hospitality and leisure, sports science, catering, marketing, advertising and public relations (PR).

“The youth are clearly a key in ensuring the future success of this sector. This is a project firmly for Saudis, and it needs to be managed, run and overseen by them from the outset. We will make training, secondment and on-site learning a key part of the SEVEN success story,” he concluded.

SEVEN was established by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) in 2017.

With an initial capital of SAR 10 billion ($2.7 billion) to invest in nationwide projects, SEVEN is expected to serve more than 50 million visitors per year, provide more than 22,000 direct jobs, and contribute to the gross domestic product (GDP) by approximately SAR 8 billion ($2.1 billion) by 2030.

Write to Paromita Dey at paromita.d@argaamplus.com