Geek Arabia: Saudi Economy's New Segment

It’s been more than a month since #SaudiComicCon took place in my home-town. The 3-day Convention was over-whelming for many reasons. It was the 1st of its kind event in a country known for its strict adherence to strict School of Thought which practically doesn’t allow much room for Arts and Crafts let alone Sci-Fi, Comics, Graphic Novels, Collectibles etc. But now thanks to a seismic shift in policy, the gradual yet slow implementation of #SaudiVision2030 has resulted partially in the establishment of Saudi General Entertainment Authority which has led the efforts in establishing a viable Entertainment sector in the Kingdom. Saudi Comic Con is one of the many successful results of the Authority and it has done so barely within a year of its establishment in 2016

But while the official support is now there for such activities, the overall scene for Comics and Collectible products remains stagnant at best. Some of which is due to the ever present red-tape (3 months officially required by Ministry of Information to clear Graphic Novels) but more importantly, the commercial establishments show tremendous lack of interest in addressing the needs of the local geek community. If one finds a commercial entity selling such stuff, we find disparity in terms of product offerings. Japanese Anime, Manga etc., are more easily available but when it comes to #DC and #Marvel, the collection and merchandize is extremely limited. #ActionFigures are for the kids and tweens but the collectible lines such as #MarvelSelect, #MarvelLegends, #DCUniverse, #BTAS still haven’t found their way to Saudi market and then there is apparel (don’t get me started)

Basic level data-mining of interests of people in Saudi Arabia (both Saudis and Expats) shows that there are at least 1.6 million people in Jeddah, Riyadh and Al Khobar combined who are Marvel loyalists and if #DC’s following is added then the number goes up to 2.2 million easily (This is the bare minimum as the aforementioned figures do not account people who are below the age of 18). Adding fan base of #StarWars, #StarTrek, #GameofThrones, #HarryPotter along with kids, tweens and pre-18s into the mix shows upto 15% of total Saudi population is into Pop-culture or Geek-Culture (Bookstores, Toy Stores, Ad Agencies and Event Management Agencies take note)

Saudi Comic Con is here to stay. The event was sold out. 23,000 people actually visited during the 3-day festivity. A mixed gathering event happened in Saudi Arabia without any reported case of assault or harassment or even a terrorist activity. This shows how serious the Entertainment Authority is in making sure that the country has a vibrant Entertainment sector. Having said that, what are the businesses doing right now? Are they planning to address this growing demand or do they prefer the status quo? Do they intend to hire geeks who know what the Saudi Geek-dom market requires?

A stroll past bookstores in Saudi would show that the collections, as stated above, are extremely limited. Geeks in Saudi Arabia are not just fans of Batman, post 2010 Marvel ‘Entertainment’ Comics or Manga. There is a massive demand for the entire DC Universe’s major characters, 1941-2011 Classic Marvel Era (Essentials & Masterworks series that have preserved the Marvel Age), Star Wars (reading material & merchandize), Star Trek and a whole lot more. #TimeWarner Inc., parent organization of #DCComics, WB Pictures (#HarryPotter, CN, Boomerang, #DCCinematicUniverse), #WB TV (Looney Toons, Hanna-Barbera) & WB Home Entertainment (Rocksteady Studios/Batman Arkham); didn’t participate at Saudi Comic Con thereby giving Disney’s Star Wars the opportunity to display its largest exhibit of characters which included life size statues of #DarthVader, Storm Troopers etc. It was quite ironic as a lot of people in Jeddah would recall that during the 90s Time Warner Inc. had actually opened Warner Bros. Studios outlet in Jeddah’s Heraa International Mall only to see it fail because of the wrong timing to enter the Saudi market then when Saudi Arabia was 1% inflation economy and selling a Batman mug for SR. 50 ($13) was like shooting yourself in the foot. Furthermore, the demand then compared to today was virtually non-existent

Today’s timing couldn’t be more ideal for Businesses in Saudi and outside to capitalize on the Geek target segment, I hope they seriously look at it from a Marketing angle and not from a Risk-averse Financial mind-set