Events and conference management feasibility study
Latest regulatory change: 2026 · reviewed 2026-11-05
Planning and delivering events, conferences and exhibitions for organisations and companies.
- 923Venues for business events[2]
- 6,490Licences issued by the General Entertainment Authority in 2025[4]
- SAR 10 billionDirect economic contribution of the events sector, according to the authority's chief[3]
Latest regulatory and market changes
- 2024The Anjez platform of the National Events Center brings together licensing for entertainment, sports, tourism and cultural events, exhibitions and conferences.[1]
- 2025Capacity for business events rose 32% in a year to 923 venues, according to the Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority (SCEGA).[2]
- 2026The Entertainment Activities Law was issued: a licence is mandatory to organise public events, with fines of up to SAR 1 million.[5]
Why now
- The General Entertainment Authority (GEA) issued 6,490 licences and hosted 1,690 events in 2025.[4]
- Exhibition space has grown 320% since 2018 to reach 300,520 square metres.[2]
- 90% of capacity is concentrated in Riyadh, Makkah and the Eastern Province.[3]
923venues for business events in Saudi Arabia after capacity grew 32% in a year, according to the Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority (SCEGA).[2]
The idea and business model
A business that plans and delivers events, conferences and exhibitions, from obtaining permits and booking the venue to set-up and management on the day. Income comes from management fees on each event, margins on supply and set-up, and ticket and sponsorship sales.
Model: Project-based services
Project economics
Revenue formula
Sales channels
- Government and corporate contracts
- Exhibitions and conferences
- Ticketed public events
Largest cost items
- Venue and equipment hire
- Suppliers and subcontractors
- Temporary staff
- Licences, insurance and safety
Decisive indicators we measure
- Events per year
- Profit margin per event
- Collection period for receivables
- Repeat client rate
Relevant authorities
- National Events Center via the Anjez platform: event licences and venue permits
- General Entertainment Authority (GEA): licensing of public entertainment events and shows
- Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority (SCEGA): exhibitions, conferences and business events
- Civil Defence: safety requirements at the event venue
- Ministry of Commerce: Commercial Registration (CR)
What needs your attention
- Private events not open to the public are not subject to the Entertainment Activities Law; public events need a licence in advance.
- The authority charges a fee of no more than 10% of each ticket's value for entertainment events.
- Revenue is seasonal and contract-based, so cash flow between events is decisive.
What a Events and conference management study calculates for you
- Profit margin by event type
- Working capital between spending and collection
- Annual events needed to break even
- Licensing requirements and the ticket fee
- Effect of seasonality on cash flow
Every one of these figures appears in your study with its source and date, built on your location and capital, with a clear line between documented facts and assumptions.
Sources
Most sources are Saudi government and press pages in Arabic; titles are kept in their original language so you can find them.
- «أنجز» توحّد التواصل مع الجهات الحكومية وتوفّر الجهد والوقتالوطن · 2024-11
- Saudi Arabia's events infrastructure surges 32%, fueling tourism goalsArab News · 2025-11
- Saudi Arabia Emerges Among Fastest Growing G20 Events Marketsالشرق الأوسط · 2025-11
- Saudi Arabia hosts over 89m visitors in its entertainment sector in 2025: GEAArab News (عن الهيئة العامة للترفيه) · 2026-04
- الترخيص إلزامي لتنظيم الفعاليات.. وغرامات تصل إلى مليون ريال للمخالفينعكاظ · 2026-07
Last reviewed: 4 November 2026. This page introduces the activity; detailed figures belong in the study.