With so many exciting events and progressive changes taking place in Saudi Arabia, it seemed that the Kingdom was something the world took an interest in.
Google releases its “Year In Search” annually, and it exists to help marketers to use people’s search habits to aid their businesses. In 2019, the MENA region had it’s own search analysis and it seems that Saudi Arabia was one of the most searched for… Think With Google wrote: "Saudi Arabia is undergoing unprecedented social change and the excitement is clear from top search trends across MENA in 2019," and here's why:
1. Saudi Arabia first released a particular tourist visa type for international visitors who wanted to attend Jeddah Season, which married tourism and entertainment. Electronic tourist visas were issued within a matter of minutes to anyone who purchased tickets to Jeddah Season’s events. The festival was a month long event and featured a major lineup including concerts and performances by the likes of Chris Brown, Tyga, Future, Janet Jackson, 50 Cent and more.
2. After the success of such a major entertainment event, came Riyadh Season, it was spread across a number of locations around the Kingdom’s capital city. The event which was extended over its original 2 month schedule, attracted over 5 million visitors within the first 3 weeks and generated 34,000 job opportunities over its course. What's more is that Riyadh Season not only exceeded expectations but also raked in over a quarter of a million USD in revenues.
3. The capital made history by hosting its first ever foreign solo concert: South Korean K-Pop sensation, BTS. BTS attracted over 600,000 attendees as they performed in Saudi Arabia in October 2019. As they took to the stage at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, the K-Pop band arranged for free shuttle buses, allowing fans to commute from the city to the stadium and they even spoke an Arabic phrases in their iconic performance.
