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Leisure and entertainment in the GCC

Ideation Center Insight

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are investing heavily to develop their leisure and entertainment (L&E) sectors. GCC consumers value L&E offerings and spend a larger share of their monthly income on L&E than those in many other regions. GCC governments have an opportunity to tailor their future investments in the sector to further enhance engagement levels. By doing so, they can improve quality of life and wellbeing, and generate US$3.4 billion annually in increased L&E spending at the GCC level.

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Definition of the L&E sector

Our definition of the L&E sector comprises six categories of activities; which are further segmented and mapped along two dimensions: the level of engagement among participants, and the frequency of the activity.

The L&E sector in the GCC

Using the tabs below, choose a country to explore its L&E sector and compare it to any other country in the GCC.

Based on a survey of 1,200 citizens and residents across the GCC, conducted in September 2018

View on L&E sector

--
%
of respondents would like their country to
be known for being a destination for
entertainment and culture
%
engage in L&E
simply to have fun
Perceived benefits of L&E
(% of respondents)

Supply and demand

Normalized supply vs. demand of L&E offerings

High consumption/
Low supply
High supply/
Low consumption

Supply

Expected changes in L&E consumption

Visual arts
Live entertainment
Neighborhood recreation
Sports
Theme parks

Market potential

Current budget allocated to L&E
(% of respondents)

Top 3 improvement areas by L&E category

Visual arts
Live entertainment
Neighbourhood recreation
Sports
Theme parks
Increased variety
More locally relevant
Lower prices
Easier access/closer to home
Better served environment
US$ 800Mn
potential yearly increase in L&E market if offerings meet consumers’ demand

Opportunities for the region

To effectively unlock the potential of this sector across the region, we articulate three priorities for GCC governments.

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Contact us

Bahjat El-Darwiche

Bahjat El-Darwiche

Partner, Strategy& Middle East

Karim Sarkis

Karim Sarkis

Partner, Strategy& Middle East

Melissa Rizk

Melissa Rizk

Foresight Director, Ideation Center, Strategy& Middle East

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