Riyadh Season

Entertainment festival held annually in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Riyadh Season

موسم الرياض

Boulevard World in 2023

Begins| October
Ends| March
Location(s)| Riyadh
Country|  Saudi Arabia
Founded| 11 October 2019
Activity| Entertainment and Sports
Organized by|

* General Entertainment Authority
* National Events Center

Sponsors|

* SNB
* STC
* Saudia

Part of| Saudi Seasons
Website| riyadhseason.com

Riyadh Season (Arabic: موسم الرياض, romanized: mawsim ar-Riyāḍ) is a series of entertainment, cultural, and sporting events held in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh. The event was introduced in 2019 by the General Entertainment Authority as part of the larger Saudi Seasons initiative in support of Saudi Vision 2030.

Riyadh Season is typically scheduled from October through March, falling between the early-winter and early-spring, with seasonal events and experiences dispersed into "zones" such as the Boulevard City, Boulevard World, Roshn Front, Al Malazz, and National Museum Park districts, and major events such as concerts, music festivals, and sporting events (particularly boxing and mixed martial arts events) promoted under the banner held at venues such as Mohammed Abdo Arena and Boulevard Hall.

## History

[edit]

Riyadh Season was introduced in 2019 as part of an initiative by the General Entertainment Authority known as Saudi Seasons, a portfolio of 11 regional cultural festivals that aim to promote tourism in Saudi Arabia in support of Saudi Vision 2030.[1][2]

The inaugural edition of Riyadh Season resulted in a sizable increase in tourism during the period; the General Entertainment Authority estimated that the events collectively generated six billion riyals in revenue,[3] there were at least 11 million visitors to the city during the 66-day period, a 106% increase in flight bookings to the city (71% of which coming from other parts of the country), and a 240% increase in bookings to one, two, and three-star hotels.[4]

Riyadh Season was not held in 2020–21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned for 2021–22, extended through March 2022.[5] With COVID-19 restrictions eased, its opening ceremony (which featured a performance by American rapper Pitbull) was attended by 750,000 people in the boulevard district.[6] The 2022 opening ceremony set a record for the largest number of drones simultaneously launching fireworks.[7][8] At least five million visitors attended events in the first two months of the period.[9]

## Riyadh Season 2019

[edit]

The first edition of the festival was launched on 11 October 2019 and was set to end on 15 December, but it was extended to January 2020 after the number of visitors exceeded 10 million.[10] In 17 October 2019, the opening parade of the first edition of Riyadh Season was held in Riyadh Boulevard zone with an attendance of more than 600,000 visitors.[11] It included 100 events that took place at 12 different zones, and was hosted under seven themes and experiences: Joy, inspire, taste, explore, fantasy, speed and desert.[12] The Taste theme originated in accordance with opening 31 restaurant from different cuisines all across the following zones:[12]

1. Riyadh Boulevard
2. Riyadh Front
3. Riyadh Car Exhibition
4. Riyadh Winter Wonderland
5. Riyadh Sports Arenas
6. Diplomatic Quarters
7. Al-Murabaa
8. Al-Malazz
9. Wadi Namar
10. Riyadh Beat
11. Riyadh Safari
12. Riyadh Sahara

## Riyadh Season 2021

[edit]

The second edition of Riyadh Season was launched on 20 October 2021 and lasted until the end of March 2022. It lies in an area measuring 5.4 million square meters in which it hosts more than 7,000 events at 14 different zones.[5]

1. Riyadh Boulevard
2. VIA Riyadh
3. Combat Field
4. Riyadh Winter Wonderland
5. Riyadh Front
6. Al-Murabaa
7. Riyadh Safari
8. Al-Athriyah
9. Riyadh Oasis
10. The Groves
11. Nabd al-Riyadh
12. Zaman Village
13. al-Salam Tree
14. Khalooha

## Riyadh Season 2022

[edit]

The third edition of Riyadh Season was launched on 21 October 2022 and lasted until March 2023. This included 8,500 activity days. This season had a principal of 15 zones in the Riyadh Boulevard and represented many cultures such as:

1. America
2. France
3. Greece
4. Italy
5. India
6. China
7. Spain
8. Morocco
9. Mexico.
10. Qassim.

The 2022 Riyadh Season also included 2023 Riyadh Season Cup, a friendly football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Riyadh XI (combined Al Hilal and Al Nassr all-star team) held at King Fahd International Stadium on 19 January 2023. The game received global attention as the game pitted Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, two of the greatest football players in the world and the subject of intense debate, directly against each other for the first time since 2020, as Messi played for PSG and Ronaldo joined Al Nassr days prior to the friendly match. PSG won the match 5–4.

## Riyadh Season 2023

[edit]

The fourth edition of Riyadh Season launched on 28 October 2023 with new identity and tagline ("Big Time") and title sponsorship from SNB. The opener event, Battle of Baddest, featuring Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou, was held at Boulevard Hall on the same day.

This year's Riyadh Season was marked with the addition of Boulevard Hall (named Kingdom Arena for sponsorship reasons), an indoor arena with a FIFA and AFC-approved football pitch capable of hosting various types of events with more than 40,000 spectators in attendance (27,000 for football matches). It was fully opened in January 2024 and serves as the new home ground of Al Hilal.

The following events took place as part of 2023 Riyadh Season:

* On 28 October 2023, the Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou heavyweight boxing fight was held in Kingdom Arena (Boulevard Hall) to kick off the Riyadh Season.
* On 4 November 2023, WWE Crown Jewel 2023 was held in Mohammed Abdu Arena.
* On 17 November 2023, If Y'all Weren't Here, I'd Be Crying Tour by American rapper Post Malone was held in Kingdom Arena (Boulevard Hall).
* Soundstorm Festival by MDLBEAST was held between 14–16 December 2023.
* On 23 December 2023, a boxing event billed as the Day of Reckoning, headlined by Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin and co-main event Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker, was held at the Kingdom Arena (Boulevard Hall).
* On 26–27 December 2023, the Riyadh Season Tennis Cup, featuring Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Ons Jabeur and Aryna Sabalenka, was held at the Kingdom Arena (Boulevard Hall).
* On 10–14 January 2024, the 2023–24 Supercopa de España featuring Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Osasuna, was held at the Al-Awwal Park (King Saud University Stadium).
* On 21–25 January 2024, the 2023 Supercoppa Italiana featuring Napoli, Inter Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina, was held at the Al-Awwal Park (King Saud University Stadium).
* The 2024 Riyadh Season Cup football tournament featuring Al Hilal, Al Nassr and Inter Miami, in a single-round robin group, where the table toppers were crowned champions. The matches between Al Hilal and Inter Miami, Al Nassr vs Inter Miami and Al Hilal vs Al Nassr was held on 29 January, 1 February and 8 February 2024 respectively at the Kingdom Arena (Boulevard Hall).[13][14] All three of these clubs signed well-known world-class players in 2023, with Paris Saint-Germain players Lionel Messi and Neymar transferring to Inter Miami and Al Hilal, respectively, while Cristiano Ronaldo transferred from Manchester United to Al Nassr. Due to Messi and Ronaldo both being 36 and 38 years old respectively, it is likely the last time the two will play against each other in a match, leading many to dub it "The Last Dance".[15]
* On 24 February 2024, the mixed martial arts event PFL vs. Bellator: Champs was held outside the Kingdom Arena (Boulevard Hall).
* On 4–6 March 2024, the first professional Snooker tournament was held in Boulevard City. Ronnie O'Sullivan won the World Masters of Snooker title.
* On 8 March 2024, the Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou boxing match was held at the Kingdom Arena (Boulevard Hall).
* Riyadh Season secured front-of-shirt sponsorship with Serie A club AS Roma, worth €8 million per year, to promote its series of events and Saudi tourism globally.
* On 18 May 2024, the Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk boxing match was held at the Kingdom Arena (Boulevard Hall). It was originally scheduled to be held in February 2024,[16] but was postponed after Fury was injured in training.[17]

### Zones

[edit]

There are 12 Zones in Riyadh Season 2023:[18]

* 1\. Boulevard World
* 2\. Boulevard City
* 3\. Kingdom Arena (Boulevard Hall)
* 4\. Ramla Terraza
* 5\. VIA Riyadh
* 6\. Wonder Garden
* 7\. Food Truck Park
* 8\. Riyadh Zoo
* 9\. Roshn Front
* 10\. The Groves
* 11\. Souq Al Awaleen
* 12\. Suwaidi Park

## Riyadh Season 2024

[edit]

The fifth edition of Riyadh Season will launch on October 12th.

The following events will take place as part of 2024 Riyadh Season:

* On September 27, 2024 (15 days before the official start of the season), the 2024 CAF Super Cup between Al Ahly (champions of the 2023-24 CAF Champions League) and Zamalek (winners of the 2023-24 CAF Confederations Cup), was held at the Kingdom Arena (Boulevard Hall).
* Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol will be held at the Kingdom Arena (Boulevard Hall) on October 12, 2024.
* PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants headlined by Francis Ngannou vs Renan Ferreira will be held at the Mayadeen on October 19, 2024.
* Riyadh Season will be hosting the 6 King's Slam in October of 2024. A tennis tournament featuring Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune.
* WWE Crown Jewel will be held at the Mohammed Abdo Arena on November 2 2024.
* Gilberto Ramirez vs Chris Billam-Smith will be held in Riyadh on November 16, 2024. It will be marketed as Latino Night.
* Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2 will be held at the Kingdom Arena (Boulevard Hall) on December 21, 2024.
* On 2–6 January 2025, the 2024 Supercoppa Italiana featuring Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus and Atalanta will be held in Riyadh.
* On 8-12 January 2025, the 2025 Supercopa de España featuring Real Madrid, Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao and Mallorca will be held in Riyadh.

## See also

[edit]

* Black Hat Middle East and Africa, a cybersecurity and hacking convention that is annually held during Riyadh Season

## References

[edit]

1. ^ K, Yara (2019-03-01). "'Saudi Seasons 2019' Initiative: Mapping the Way for Tourism". WHATSUP KSA. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
2. ^ "Saudi festival seasons for Taif and Al-Soudah launched at the double". Arab News. 2019-07-07. Archived from the original on 2019-08-10. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
3. ^ "Saudi Arabia's Entertainment Blowout is Twice as Big This Year". Bloomberg.com. 21 October 2021.
4. ^ "Revealed: the impact of Riyadh Season on Saudi tourism". Arabian Business. 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
5. ^ a b "Riyadh Season 2021 kicks off in Saudi Arabia's capital". Al Arabiya English. 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
6. ^ "Pitbull brings the party to Riyadh Season's glittering opening ceremony". The National. 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2022-01-09.
7. ^ "Riyadh Season 2022 Guinness World Record win for opening". Time Out Riyadh. 2022-10-23. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
8. ^ "Guinness Records set during Riyadh Season". www.wafyapp.com. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
9. ^ "Riyadh Season Visitors Hit 5Mln Within First Five Weeks". Asharq Al-Awsat. 29 November 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
10. ^ Al Shurafa, Sara, ed. (9 October 2019). "Saudi Arabia: All you need to know about Riyadh Season". Gulf News. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
11. ^ Gillett, Katy (19 October 2019). "Tamer Hosny, Nancy Ajram and DJ Carnage: Riyadh Season Boulevard opening weekend proves a huge success". The National. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
12. ^ a b "Saudi Arabia: All you need to know about Riyadh Season". Gulf News. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
13. ^ Guyett, Matthew (2023-11-21). ""One last dance", "Battle of the GOATS" - Fans react as Lionel Messi's Inter Miami are set to clash with Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr next year". Sports Keeda. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
14. ^ "Riyadh Season Cup 2024: Teams involved, dates and how it works". 90min. 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
15. ^ "Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi denied 'last dance' after injury blow". The Independent. 2024-01-31. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
16. ^ Pattle, Alex (16 November 2023). "Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk date finally confirmed as historic title fight looms". The Independent.
17. ^ "Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk: Ukrainian becomes undisputed heavyweight champion". BBC Sport. 2024-05-18. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
18. ^ "Riyadh Season". Riyadh Season. 2023-11-01. Retrieved 2023-11-01.