New Saudi company PIF to develop immersive cultural experiences

Saudi Arabia’s PIF has announced the establishment of the National Interactive Entertainment Company (QSAS) to develop immersive storytelling experiences, inspired by authentic Saudi heritage and Islamic history.

The company will specialize in developing, owning and operating world-class interactive exhibitions across Saudi Arabia, helping to meet the growing demand for high-quality cultural experiences for pilgrims and tourists.

QSAS will showcase different types of interactive exhibitions, including permanent and traveling exhibitions, to provide immersive multi-sensory experiences, which will promote local culture and tourism sectors. The company will contribute to the localization of knowledge and technologies for the private sector content creation industry, which will help support Saudi Arabia’s position in this growing sector regionally and globally.

QSAS, derived from an Arabic word meaning “stories,” will aim to enrich the experience of visitors, especially those interested in culture. It will highlight important historical milestones and inspiring figures from Saudi Arabia and around the world. The company will launch its activities locally with exhibitions that tell stories inspired by Islamic history and Saudi heritage before later expanding to global markets and diversifying sources of narrative content.

The creation of QSAS is part of PIF’s strategy to support the local private sector through partnerships in areas such as building, construction, event management and technology. The creation of QSAS is expected to contribute to the creation of more than 11,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2030, according to a statement.

Mishary Alibraheem, Head of Entertainment, Leisure, Sports and Education at MENA Direct Investments at PIF, said: “The tourism and entertainment sector is a strategic local priority for PIF as we focus on enriching the tourism and entertainment experience. QSAS will help strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position as an attractive tourism destination with narratives inspired by history, culture and heritage, and will invest in local talent to create a new economic activity focused on providing interactive experiences; a sector that is experiencing significant global growth.”

The QSAS will complement other PIF investments in the entertainment and leisure sector, including the giant Diriyah project and the recently launched Dan Company, which focuses on agro- and eco-tourism. It also aligns with the goals of the Pilgrim Experience Program: a Vision 2030 initiative that aims to enhance the capacity to accommodate 30 million pilgrims by 2030, as well as the Ministry of Tourism’s National Tourism Strategy to attract 150 million visitors per year by the same time frame by enriching the visitor experience. – TradeArabia Information Service