Saudi Entertainment Authority Seizes 4,000 Black Market Tickets

Since 2016, Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA) has been fighting a long battle against the ticket black market in the Kingdom. The black market unofficially sells tickets for concerts, theatre shows and sports matches at hugely inflated prices.

The Governor of the GEA has announced their biggest crackdown operation yet, seizing over 4,000 illegally traded tickets. The Governor has also promised to continue efforts to stop ticket scalping, and encouraged customers to buy tickets from official platforms.

In 2023, the GEA launched WeBook, the official site for booking tickets for Riyadh Season 2023, which offered perks and services in order to motivate people to register with the platform and help combat the growth of the black market.

In addition to the launch of WeBook and the seizure of scalped tickets, the GEA is working with the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence to shut down websites selling overpriced tickets and redirect the ticketing system to fairly-priced, state-endorsed websites.

The entertainment industry’s vital role in the Saudi economy exacerbates the need to eliminate black market ticketing and market manipulation. As the sector rapidly develops, Saudi authorities are working hard to ensure the market remains free and fair.