Bridging Expertise: Strategic Venture Aligns Informa, Events Investment Fund, SAFCSP, and SELA
Tahaluf to Unveil Innovative B2B and B2C Live Events, Backed by Joint Expertise
Ambitious Plans to Introduce Renowned Informa Brands to Saudi Arabia
LONDON – The Events Investment Fund (EIF), a component of the National Development Fund, has acquired a stake in Tahaluf, a prominent Saudi Arabian live events firm. This dynamic partnership is a strategic joint venture uniting the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), Informa—a global leader in academic and B2B markets—and SELA, a distinguished Saudi event production company known for creating spectacular event experiences.
The investment aligns with EIF’s strategy to cultivate a robust infrastructure for the Kingdom’s culture, tourism, entertainment, and sports sectors. With an eye on the future, EIF aims to establish world-class venues by 2030 that drive the growth of these sectors.
Tahaluf, leveraging Informa’s global expertise, is set to introduce innovative B2B and B2C events focused on strategic sectors such as technology, real estate, pharmaceuticals, food, health, beauty, tourism, and hospitality.
Following the success of LEAP, Black Hat Middle East, and DeepFest events, Tahaluf plans to unveil a diverse array of original concept events, including the Saudi Maritime Congress, Global Health Exhibition, and Inflavour for the food industry. Furthermore, iconic Informa brands like Cityscape, CPHI, and Cosmoprof will make their mark in Saudi Arabia, catering to global real estate, pharmaceutical, and beauty industries.
Over the course of two years, founding partners SAFCSP and Informa, alongside the Ministry of Communications and IT, transformed LEAP into the world’s most attended tech event, with a record-breaking 172,000 attendees in 2023. Tahaluf aims to replicate this success in future launch events.
This strategic joint venture aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 by diversifying the economy, increasing non-oil GDP share, and attracting foreign direct investment. The development of the meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (“MICE”) ecosystem will significantly boost the tourism sector’s contribution to the GDP, targeting more than 10 percent by 2030.
The formal announcement of EIF’s stake acquisition in Tahaluf, meaning ‘Alliance’ in Arabic, took place during a signing ceremony at Informa’s headquarters on July 26, 2023. Attendees included Lord Stephen Carter CBE, Group CEO of Informa PLC; Faisal Al Khamisi, SAFCSP Chairman; Ahmed AlJasser, acting CEO of EIF; Alrayan Gadouri, Chief of Staff of SELA; Muteb Al Qani, CEO SAFCSP; Mike Champion, CEO of Tahaluf, and representatives of the JV group.
Lord Carter, Group CEO of Informa PLC, emphasized the dynamic impact of Tahaluf, expressing pride in Informa’s role in delivering world-class sustainable events in Saudi Arabia. This investment is poised to elevate the reach and influence of Tahaluf across various sectors.
Faisal Al Khamisi, SAFCSP Chairman, emphasized the transformative potential of aligning events with Saudi Vision 2030 objectives and partnering with key industry players to bolster knowledge transfer, talent development, business tourism, and the positioning of Saudi Arabia as a leading event destination.
Ahmed AlJasser, acting CEO of EIF, voiced excitement about the joint venture’s potential to position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for international events, highlighting its contribution to the Vision 2030 plans.
Dr. Rakan Alharthy, Managing Director and CEO of SELA, underscored the opportunity to expand their presence in a growing sector, aligned with Saudi Vision 2030.
Mike Champion, CEO of Tahaluf, emphasized the company’s strategic positioning to deliver high-quality events and drive the Kingdom’s MICE sector forward, with support from EIF, SAFCSP, and Informa.
This strategic collaboration sets the stage for an exciting chapter in Saudi Arabia’s event landscape, driven by innovation, expertise, and a shared vision for growth.
