Tahaluf’s B2B Live Events overtake $17bn economic impact of the FIFA World Cup – explains Tahaluf CEO, Mike Champion
• Champion delivers Saudi Business and Investment Summit 2025 opening keynote to leaders and decision-makers across government, business, and international institutions.
• World renowned brands like LEAP, Cityscape Global and Global Health Exhibition have contributed $17.6bn of economic impact to Saudi Arabia in three years.
• Annabelle Mander, Tahaluf EVP, chairs session on Saudi Arabia’s investment momentum and regulatory reforms.
4th September, Riyadh: Delivering his keynote to the Saudi Business and Investment Summit 2025, Tahaluf CEO, Mike Champion, explained how in just three years Tahaluf’s live B2B events delivered $17.6bn economic impact to Saudi Arabia, surpassing that of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Champion also explained to an audience of leaders and decision-makers from across government, business, and international institutions just how quickly economic change in the Kingdom was happening across the show floors of LEAP, Cityscape Global and the other world renowned B2B events Tahaluf has launched in the Kingdom under his leadership.
The Saudi Business and Investment Summit 2025 took place on September 3 at the Sheraton Riyadh Hotel & Towers, Riyadh. It was a central platform for key decision makers to discuss the Vision 2030 reform agenda and the new business opportunities it has created.
Indeed, the Summit highlighted how sweeping policy reforms and evolving investment strategies are reshaping Saudi Arabia’s economic landscape. It saw leaders converge from sectors including technology, culture, transport, energy and finance to discuss the progress made so far in identifying future opportunities.
Opening the event, Champion – who is also the co-founder of LEAP, the world’s most attended tech event - outlined the kingdom’s ongoing transformation, emphasising the role of private sector engagement in turning Vision 2030 goals into tangible results.
“The global opportunities for growth in Saudi Arabia are unparalleled and our live events company Tahaluf is testament to this,” said Champion.
“In just three and a half years, we have grown from a team of three to a company of over 300 events professionals who are proudly responsible for creating some of the most ambitious and largest B2B events in the world. We are set for another excellent year in 2025, with revenues expected to grow more than 30% year on year, taking us well beyond $200m annually. By the end of 2025 we forecast Tahaluf will have made a total economic impact of $17.6bn to the kingdom’s GDP – this surpasses the reported $17bn economic impact of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar over a similar timeframe – the difference being that Tahaluf’s events will repeat annually, whereas World Cups come and go” added Champion.
Following Champion’s opening keynote a series of panel discussions and speeches explored the exciting prospects for businesses operating in Saudi Arabia. Among the featured speakers were government representatives such as Saud Adham from the Ministry of Culture, who shed light on the growing cultural sector’s contribution to economic diversification. Industry executives including Abhay Bhargava of Frost & Sullivan and Turki Alsubaihi of SAPTCO Group provided insights into sector-specific innovations and infrastructure development.
Tahaluf EVP, Annabelle Mander, also moderated an in-depth “Majlis” session on Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation, which looked at investment momentum and the regulatory reforms that have unlocked new business avenues.
“As a co-creator of LEAP, LEAP East, Money20/20 Middle East and Black Hat MEA, I have seen firsthand the investment and regulatory reforms that Vision 2030 has helped unlock,” explained Mander.
“By building strategic partnerships across government and industry, aligning business tourism with Vision 2030, Tahaluf has driven record growth in Saudi’s business events sector. Therefore, it was insightful to moderate and hear from other key players in the kingdom just how Vision 2030 has helped expand their business horizons too,” added Mander.
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About Tahaluf
Headquartered in Riyadh, Tahaluf brings together strategically important commercial communities from Saudi Arabia, the wider Gulf, and the global stage through a portfolio of world-class exhibitions and digital platforms.
Tahaluf is a joint venture between Informa PLC, the world’s largest trade show organizer; the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP); and the Events Investment Fund (EIF). Sela, the Saudi-owned event production company known for creating world-class experiences, is also set to join the venture.
Tahaluf is behind leading events including LEAP, DeepFest, LEAP East, Money20/20 Middle East, Black Hat MEA, Cityscape Global, Global Health Exhibition, and CPHI Saudi Arabia.
For more information, visit: https://tahaluf.com
Media Contact:
Douglas Keighley – PR & Communication Lead: douglas.keighley@informa.com
Douglas Keighley
Informa
+44 7561 872972
email us here
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