The cultural and creative economy generates 3.1% of global GDP and supports over 30m jobs. Its scope spans film, music, fashion, heritage and museums, with multiplier effects across supply chains and services. Yet, despite its scale, the sector is often grouped with media or leisure, limiting visibility and complicating benchmarking. Trends such as digitalisation, immersive formats, and alignment with environmental, social and governance principles are reshaping cultural production – and strengthening the sector’s status as an independent investment pillar.
As this Market Outlook Report highlights, the cultural sector is both a global economic pillar and a national priority in Saudi Arabia. Globally, the $2.3trn scale of the cultural and creative economy is influencing investment flows, while the Kingdom has emerged as a case study in cultural sector development. Anchored in Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s model combines the Ministry of Culture, 11 cultural commissions and the Cultural Development Fund – as the sector’s centre of excellence and financial enabler, under the supervision of the National Development Fund – to expand infrastructure, attract partnerships and mobilise capital. Together, these dynamics position culture as a strategic investment opportunity – both within Saudi Arabia and beyond.
Know more by downloading this report, produced in partnership with the Cultural Development Fund and the Cultural Investment Conference.
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