2
1 & 2 RICEC exterior 3 Auditorium, RICEC
add a further 10,000 square metres of outdoor venue to its list of facilities. In addition, the RICEC complex, occupying a total land area of 189,000 square metres, will soon be the loca- tion of a hotel (currently in the design phase) that can provide corporate delegates with the much-needed accommodation option. All these developments, plus the Saudi
government’s efforts to create a business- friendly environment, are helping to raise Saudi Arabia’s profile as a premier business destination in the Gulf region, Al Omran adds.
In the four years since it opened its doors to regional and international trade shows, the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center (RICEC) has proven to be one of the key components in bringing business to Saudi Arabia. RICEC’s entry into the market in March
2009 opened a window of opportunity for Saudi Arabia’s young, yet vibrant, meet- ings and exhibitions sector, says Abdullah Al Omran, the centre’s Chief Executive Officer. “As the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) industry in the kingdom expands, the need for modern facilities, including exhibition spaces and hotels within major business districts, such as Riyadh, also became apparent. RICEC was established to cater to the require- ments of this emerging industry,” he adds. Since its launch date, RICEC has seen a
two-fold growth in the number of events it has hosted, which comprises 15,000 square metres of column-free indoor exhibi- tion space, 5,000 square metres of outdoor venue, an auditorium that can seat up to 1,100 people, a business centre, a press centre and a 1,600-square-metre VIP lounge. RICEC’s location at the heart of Riyadh
– Saudi Arabia’s capital and major finan- cial district with a population of over five million – and the value-added services it offers, such as wireless Internet connectivity and car parking management, also bode well for attracting international events. In 2012, RICEC hosted 26 major events representing various industries from
construction and agriculture, technology and energy, to healthcare and education. This reflects a 15 percent increase from the number of events held in the centre in 2011. Last year’s events welcomed a record 3,000 exhibitors and over one million visitors. Al Omran says a consistent rising demand
for exhibition space has also led the centre to undertake a recent expansion drive that will
BOOSTING SAUDI’S GLOBAL APPEAL Business regulation reforms have placed Saudi Arabia at the top ranking of countries in the Arab world for ease of doing business in 2012 and 2013, according to the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). These reforms, aimed at protecting investors and small- and medium- sized enterprises, lend support to Saudi’s initia- tives to encourage companies in various fields to set up offices in the kingdom.
SINCE ITS LAUNCH DATE, RICEC HAS SEEN A TWO-FOLD GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF EVENTS IT HAS HOSTED
3
27
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124