The leisure and entertainment industry in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region generates an estimated $8.2 billion in revenue, according to a report.

The MENA Leisure Report (MLR), debuted at the recent Menalac event, is a 400-page coffee table book, with first-hand demographic, tourism, and leisure industry data for each country in the MENA region from Pakistan to Morocco.

The hybrid event, physically hosted at the InterContinental Festival City as well as online, saw Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry President & CEO Hamad Buamim unveil and launch the publication.

Sparking a new culture of sharing data and information within the region, the MLR would not have been possible without contributions from industry operators who have played a significant role in sharing data for the larger benefit of the industry, according to a statement from Menalac.

The in-person networking event attracted Menalac members alongside key operators and decision-makers from the leisure & attractions industry.

With statistics about annual venue footfall to the average spend per person at Family Entertainment Centres and beyond, the MLR contains invaluable data that will help investors, developers and operators make informed business decisions, benchmark operations, and re-strategise.

Some of the insights the MLR features are:
- Facility rent and employment costs are the biggest expenses for leisure & entertainment operators.
- Tourists comprise 40 per cent of amusement park visitors in the UAE.
- Family Entertainment Centres (FECs) account for 96% of regional leisure and amusement businesses.
- From 2018 to 2019, 15% of the facilities in Saudi Arabia and 10% of the facilities in the UAE reported a 15% rise in year-on-year customer growth; 40% of survey respondents across the GCC reported a 5% to 9% increase in year-on-year footfall.
- 98% of the FECs in Saudi Arabia witness north of 400,000 visitors per year.
- The average dwell time at FECs in the MENA region is 1-2 hours with an average spend per head of $30 per visit. 70% of FECs enjoy a high amount of repeat visits by the same customer, almost eight times per year.
- With most countries within the GCC emphasising nationalisation, the number of nationals being employed within the leisure & entertainment industry is expected to increase by 5-10% year-on-year in the next five years.
- The average annual revenue per FEC across the MENA region is $1.02 million. The MENA market is currently dominated by FECs.
- 26% of FEC and waterpark operators are expected to expand across the MENA region while 33% of theme park operators are keen to add new concepts and attractions to their existing parks. 15% of trampoline park operators are looking to expand with new facilities within the country they currently operate in.

Managing Director of The Zone Amusement Arcade & Menalac board member Prakash Vivekanand said: The MLR is a treasure trove of industry data and insights. From an overview of national economies to household income and tourism trajectories, it is also a pictorial celebration of the MENA leisure, attractions and entertainment industry, which has some of the best leisure concepts in the world.

He added: Search engines can only get you the information you need per country. While quite a lot of the data online is fairly accurate, one needs to search per country and be aware of the data strains that influence leisure facilities. The MLR compiles such necessary data, validated by the council as a single publication. The primary aim of this report is to help business owners make informed decisions, while also holding informed opinions.

Vivekanand concluded: The MLR is an effort that has spanned 14 months. This book is a celebration of the MENA leisure & attractions industry. The benchmark survey that we have attempted is loaded with regional data, essentially acting as a tool for investors to make informed decisions. It will educate new investors about the regional industrys state of play while validating what existing operators already know.

The MLR will be a bi-annual publication, with the next edition scheduled for 2023.-TradeArabia News Service

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