Middle East and North Africa Leisure Attractions Council (Menalac), the trade council representing the Mena region’s amusement parks, water parks, visitor attractions and family entertainment centres industry, will host a networking conference on the leisure and tourism in Kuwait on December 8 in Kuwait City.
 
More than 150 industry stakeholders from the regional and global leisure industry including officials from government departments and regulatory bodies, owners, developers, leisure operators, suppliers and contractors will attend the day-long networking conference that specifically focusses on Kuwait’s growing tourism and leisure industry.
 
As an industry platform, Menalac promotes best practices in the leisure attractions sector by highlighting new trends, innovations, operating techniques, safety standards and unified codes through such conferences and events whilst also providing a platform for all stakeholders in the industry to network, make new connections and explore new opportunities.
 
The Kuwait event will feature keynote speeches on new opportunities in Kuwait’s leisure market as a part of the country’s Vision 2035 plans; panel discussions on the status of the Kuwait leisure industry, comprising of panellists from the top leisure operators; a forum on need for safety in today’s operating environment and a presentation on creating socially engaging leisure experiences within retail developments.  For international visitors, the event also has a guided tour to all the leading leisure and entertainment venues presently operational in Kuwait. This Menalac networking conference is sponsored by Trampo and Play as Title Sponsors and EMPED as their Technology partner.
 
“Kuwait is an important market for the leisure and entertainment as its citizens are big spenders in leisure attractions, tourism and entertainment facilities. With prolonged socio-economic and political stability, we see the market is growing in Kuwait,” said Prakash Vivekanand, secretary-general of Menalac.
 
“Kuwait’s economy is one of the most vibrant in the GCC. Its tourism, leisure attractions and amusement facilities are growing fast due to high demand. At the meeting, we will listen to our industry stakeholders and understand the opportunities in the leisure tourism sector and help the industry stakeholders to develop a better understanding of the present market status and new opportunities in Kuwait. The location visits will enable them to meet with key operators and experience their operations.”
 
“The operating parameters in our region are unique. Within our membership base, we have a wealth of professional knowledge and experience in operating leisure and entertainment facilities specifically in our region. Through such educational initiatives we localise our content and translate this knowledge and experience to our audience and thus serve to enhance the operating standards within each country,” he added.
 
According to reports, Kuwait has construction projects valued at $494.1 billion at various stages of development, with The Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development (SCPD) and Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) being the country's top developers, while South Korea's Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co and UAE-founded Petrofac are among Kuwait's top five contractors.
 
Among these, the upcoming construction projects in Kuwait are valued at $337.7 billion, according to ProTenders' data in June 2019. Of this, $51.9 billion are infrastructure developments, and $245.4 billion are urban buildings.
 
Tamdeen Group, for example, is developing a $82.2 billion Silk City in Kuwait – billed to be the world’s largest mixed-use project that will have a major impact of the country’s economy.
 
The GCC countries are investing significantly to develop their leisure and entertainment (L&E) sectors in order to improve quality of life, celebrate national identities, and diversify national economies.
 
Menalac, which was launched in 2016, has grown with a large number of active members across the region, where the leisure and entertainment industry is set to grow due to an increasing young population who are high-spenders in leisure and entertainment attractions. - TradeArabia News Service