Turki Alalshikh: Revolutionizing Saudi's Creative Landscape through Marketing Innovation
Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and a trusted adviser to the Saudi Royal Court, Turki Alalshikh's contributions to revolutionizing Saudi Arabia's cultural landscape and driving Vision 2030's goals through innovative entertainment and media initiatives are visibly impactful. Communicate walks you through his journey of positioning the Kingdom as a leading hub for cultural innovation and global entertainment excellence.
In the narrative of Saudi Arabia’s transformative journey outlined by Vision 2030, Turki Alalshikh, an adviser to the Royal Court and the current Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), emerges as a pivotal figure. As a key architect and advocate of cultural and entertainment reforms within the Kingdom, Alalshikh’s visionary initiatives have substantially contributed to the realization of Vision 2030’s goal of fostering a vibrant society. His endeavours closely align with the aspiration to create an environment where citizens can freely pursue their passions, thereby catalyzing socio-economic growth.
On a global scale, it is often the developing countries that chart the most ambitious economic growth agendas, typically led by visionary leaders like Alalshikh. After years of relative dormancy, Saudi Arabia took the world by surprise when it became the second fastest-growing economy. The growth forecast for the Kingdom in 2025 is predicted to rise from 5.50% to 6%, cementing Alalshikh’s role in driving the Kingdom’s creative and cultural landscape.
From composing melodies embraced by icons like Amr Diab and Kazem Al Saher to crafting narratives that garnered global acclaim on the silver screen, Alalshikh’s creative journey is one to observe.
He embarked on his career path after graduating from King Fahd Security College in 2001 with a degree in security sciences. His journey in governance commenced with roles in the Interior Ministry and later, the Ministry of Defence. Demonstrating unwavering loyalty to the Saudi Royal Family, he was appointed an adviser to the royal court in 2015. Following this, he ascended to become a minister before assuming the helm as Chairman of the General Sports Authority. He expanded his international influence through ownership of Unión Deportiva Almería, a Spanish Football Club, and by hosting prestigious international sports events in Saudi Arabia, such as the WWE’s Greatest Royal Rumble. He played a critical role in the development of the Saudi Professional League (SPL), attracting international sports teams to compete within the Kingdom.
Last month, the world’s gaze shifted to Saudi Arabia when Alalshikh announced his inaugural boxing event outside the country. He conveyed his intention to ESPN to leverage his influence to address the perceived shortcomings within the sport. The title fight between American boxer Terence Crawford and Uzbekistani boxer Israil Madrimov will be presented by Riyadh Season in Los Angeles this year on August 3rd. Alalshikh also disclosed to ESPN his ongoing research efforts aimed at understanding the market dynamics and identifying challenges within the realm of boxing.
His formidable approach to transforming Saudi’s sports industry has garnered recognition through various awards. In 2017, Alalshikh received the Arab Sports Culture Award and was named the most influential Arab Sports Personality of the Year at the 12th Dubai International Sports Conference. He also attained the award again in 2018.
Following this, he assumed the chairmanship of the General Authority for Entertainment (GEA). Aligned with Vision 2030, the GEA was established in 2016 to diversify entertainment in all its forms while preserving Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage and boosting both local and international tourism. Today, it’s evident that Alalshikh has chosen an unconventional path, emerging as a cultural activist actively reshaping the Kingdom’s conservative image into a more liberal one, with the blessing of the Crown Prince. Under the reign of Alalshikh, the Kingdom has witnessed the debut of first-of-its-kind festivals, concerts, and music events that have garnered international attention and recognition.
In just 4 years, Alalshikh has firmly established himself as one of the most influential personalities across the region. It is fair to say that his efforts have reaped results worth noting. Saudi Arabia’s entertainment sector has witnessed remarkable growth, with the number of companies soaring to 4,000 companies from fewer than 10 since the launch of Vision 2030. In 2023, the travel and tourism sector recorded exponential growth, with a 58 percent increase. Moreover, the media sector’s contribution to Saudi’s GDP reached $3.86 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $4.27 billion this year.
Saudi Arabia boasts one of the largest media economies in the MENA region, holding a 30% market share. The government is actively prioritising the restructuring of this sector to improve the quality of life and further attract private sector investment, particularly in the entertainment and creative industries. Under the umbrella of GEA, Alalshikh introduced Riyadh to some of the most significant events, with Riyadh Season standing out as the flagship. Launched in 2019, the entertainment and sports annual-state funded festival starts in October and ends towards March. The first edition of the season generated over $1.5 billion worth of revenue.
Alalshikh’s statement, “Cultural, artistic, and entertainment experiences have been brought in with great scale and color to this wonderful country that is rich in its legacy, and capabilities, as we open ourselves up further to the world and invite others to come in and experience what Saudi Arabia has to offer,” sparked dialogue across the Kingdom, inviting the creative community to embrace change and disruption.
The Kingdom’s consumer base stands out for its distinctiveness. The Saudi audience is highly “sophisticated and engaged,” with a penchant for high levels of media consumption. They expect a dynamic media landscape that reflects their culture, offers quality content, and embraces new technology. This extends to the introduction of internationally coveted brands, top-tier dining options, and entertainment offerings in the Kingdom.
The demand for progress among Saudi nationals across various sectors, including the economy, environment, society, and technology, presents an opportunity for Saudi brands, marketers, and advertisers. Moreover, with the youth constituting over 60% of Saudi’s population, initiatives centred around their creative and cultural development are being spearheaded by Alalshikh, aligning with a strong push to position the youth as the driving force behind Saudi’s economy.
Merwas International Studios in Riyadh opened its doors to creative enthusiasts in 2022. As one of the 15 entertainment zones of Riyadh Season, the facility serves as a creative hub for content creators, cinematographers, producers, artists, and researchers. In February 2024, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Alalshikh launched the Big Time Investment Fund to support Arabic content creation in fields such as film production and distribution and empower prominent Arab artists.
In alignment with these efforts, Alalshikh contributes to Saudi Arabia’s marketing and advertising community through Big Time Creative Shop, a creatively-led advertising agency. The agency is responsible for all creative communications for GEA’s initiatives. Within six months of its establishment, and as the sole agency from Saudi Arabia, it earned the title of the 3rd Independent Agency of the Year at Dubai Lynx, along with a Grand Prix for the campaign ‘Rumble’ for GEA.
Under the banner of GEA, and his personal effort to continue empowering Saudi’s creative communities, Alalshikh is set to debut the MENA Effie Awards in Saudi Arabia, in partnership with Saudi Media Company.. Through this alliance, he aims to further empower the youth by creating new opportunities for aspiring marketers and advertisers in the region.
A clear pattern emerges in Alalshikh’s ventures, all contributing to his overarching goal to position Saudi Arabia as a leading global economy. His initiatives can be best characterised by the commitment to disrupting traditional norms and perceptions while driving innovation and growth in key sectors such as sports, entertainment, media, and culture. He identifies and continues to preserve the nation’s cultural identity by advocating for original and relevant media experiences, all while meeting the demands of the Saudi nationals.
