Fitness, Health & Wellbeing Tops Saudi Arabia’s Agenda – Market Opportunities Showcased in New Industry Specific Exhibition
Saudi International Sport & Fitness – powered by FIBO – Set for November 2014 Launch
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia:
As the health and wellbeing of its population gains increasing importance for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, an opportunity for international businesses involved with sport and fitness to gain a foothold in the Middle East is set to launch in November this year. A new exhibition – Saudi International Sport & Fitness (ISF Saudi) powered by FIBO, the world’s leading fitness and wellness trade fair –will provide a platform and direct access to the region’s largest target market, and help to address pressing national concerns for a healthy population.
Taking place from 24 – 27 November 2014 at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events, ISF Saudi will showcase international exhibitors and national and international partners. The show is sponsored by Delta Fitness Authority, Dr Soliman Fakeeh Hospital and Green Vision and has already attracted participation from leading international sports and fitness brands. These include Life Fitness, Freemotion, Pavigym, Technobody, Gym80, HP Cosmos, Synergy, Airex, Digilock, Green Vision, Purmotion, Artisport, Technogym, Stex, and CrossFox Fitness.
Market potential in the Kingdom is considerable, with health and fitness-related projects valued at more US$20 billion requiring fulfilment from suppliers of fitness equipment and infrastructure. Sports retail is an US$8 billion business with a healthy annual growth rate of eight percent. ISF Saudi is segmented into the Sport Life Zone and Sports Business Zone to service all elements of the market. The three key sectors represented within these segments are:
- Fitness – professional fitness equipment, sport and fitness services
- Retail – distribution and retail of sports, fitness and health equipment, apparel, footwear and accessories
- Infrastructure – sports and wellness facilities design and constructions, sports development and management
According to Saudi Arabia’s Ninth Development Plan, which was approved by the Saudi Council of Ministers to aid development across all sectors, 19 percent of the Kingdom’s budget, equating to US$73 billion, has been committed to social and health initiatives between 2010 and 2014.
Major sports development projects, such as the $5 billion King Abdullah Sports City, have also received bumper budgets, and a further US$1.3 billion is expected to be added to sports infrastructure investment in 2015. Private investment in the sports and fitness sector also continues to grow, and is fast approaching US$1 billion with estimated year-on-year growth of 17 percent*.
The deregulation of women’s participation in sports and fitness activities heralds further opportunity for improving the health and wellbeing of this fast-growing population. These Saudi government initiatives come as a result of the prevalent health risks in the Kingdom, most notably diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Obesity is widely documented, and currently affects 44 percent of women, 26.4 percent of men and 18 percent of children in KSA.
ISF Saudi will enable dialogue and relationship development between private organisations, industry brands and government bodies, to discuss and action solutions for the Kingdom’s health and fitness sector. The show also introduces the Hosted Buyer Program to facilitate direct and effective business networking and trading opportunities.
“It is clear from the significant commitment by Saudi Arabia’s government to develop social and health initiatives that this is at the top of the Kingdom’s agenda,” said Simon Blazeby, Head of Exhibitions, Reed Sunaidi Exhibitions. “The launch of ISF Saudi offers exceptional opportunities for products and services in sports, fitness and health to provide meaningful contributions to the development of the population’s future wellbeing.”
*Source: Euromonitor International 2012
For more information about how to exhibit your organisation, products and services or visiting the event, please visit the ISF Saudi website at www.isfsaudi.com.
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About International Sport & Fitness Saudi (ISF Saudi)
www.isfsaudi.com
ISF Saudi is the Kingdom’s first event dedicated to the international sport, health and wellness industry. The event will promote health and well-being to the people of Saudi Arabia, whilst providing the perfect platform for companies to develop international B2B, organisational and Government relationships. Organised by Reed Sunaidi Exhibitions, ISF Saudi is powered by FIBO – the worldwide leading trade fair for Fitness, Wellness and Health
About Reed Sunaidi Exhibitions
http://www.reedsunaidiexpo.com
Reed Sunaidi Exhibitions is the strategically successful joint venture partnership between the world’s largest international exhibition organiser Reed Exhibitions and highly experienced Saudi organiser Sunaidi Expo. Based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Reed Sunaidi is currently running six events in Jeddah and Riyadh in 2014. Current events span diverse markets including the design, food, mother and baby, business, international sport & fitness, health & beauty, pool and spa and kitchen & bathroom sectors.
Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading event organiser with a portfolio of 500 events organized in 39 countries including trade and consumer exhibitions, conferences and meetings, ranging across 44 industry sectors.
About FIBO:
http://www.fibo.de
FIBO is the leading International Trade Fair for Fitness, Wellness & Health, showcasing state-of-the-art training equipment, intelligent health promotion concepts, up-to-date specialist lectures and action-packed events. FIBO not only offers the world’s best overview of the market but also direct contact to companies and their innovations. Companies from outside Europe are also taking advantage of the Leading International Trade Show for Fitness, Wellness and Health to present their innovations and to stage world product premieres. This makes FIBO the industry’s largest show of innovations. At FIBO 2014, the trade fair organizer, Reed Exhibitions Deutschland, recorded a total of 116,000 trade visitors and fitness fans from around the world. About 700 companies from more than 35 countries presented themselves. FIBO 2015 will take place from 9 to 12 April in Cologne, Germany.