Unlocked Sport, an Australian business with a presence in the US and Latin American markets, has announced its entry into the Saudi sports market. This move aligns with the Kingdom’s commitment to impactful commercial and investment deals that foster community development, highlighting Unlocked Sport’s dedication to leveraging sports for economic and social progress.

The global sports market is projected to reach an impressive $117.90 billion in 2025, showcasing the immense potential sports can offer economies worldwide. Unlocked Sport’s unique sports ecosystem concierge approach helps stakeholders, sports entities, businesses, and investors capitalize on the future of major sporting events globally and in Saudi Arabia over the next decade and beyond. This approach ensures all parties can maximize their potential and contribute to a thriving sports ecosystem. 

Jason Turnbull, chairman and CEO of Unlocked Sport, said: “At Unlocked Sport, we pride ourselves on being your ‘Sports Ecosystem Concierge,’ facilitating deeper connections between sports stakeholders and the communities they serve. Our mission is to transform ideas into scalable and impactful assets, providing comprehensive support that includes opportunity promotion, project management, and business concierge services.”

According to Turnbull, the development model and attraction strategy that Saudi Arabia is undertaking offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to globally showcase how sports can be a major driver of national and economic development. “It is exciting to see this initiative engage all generations around a unifying vision, demonstrating the power of sports to bring about positive change,” he said.

Atif Karim, COO and head of sports business at Unlocked Sport, said: “Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 presents an unparalleled operational opportunity. The Kingdom’s ambitious plans for economic diversification and community development through sports align perfectly with our mission to create impactful and sustainable sports ecosystems. We are excited to be part of this transformative journey.”

Unlocked Sport is committed to working closely with Saudi Arabian stakeholders to unlock the full potential of the sports sector, contributing to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and beyond.

More than 150 exhibitors including Konica Minolta, Bobst, Ricoh, Canon and Fujifilm will take part in Gulf Print and Pack 2025, the Middle East’s leading commercial print and packaging trade show for printers, machinery buyers and brand owners. This edition will take place for the first time in Saudi Arabia at Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Center from Jan. 14-16.

Live demonstrations of the latest commercial and package printing technologies are set to take center stage at the show.

Konica Minolta will showcase its latest innovations in production printing and embellishment, including its MGI embellishment technology, which adds striking decorative effects to printed materials, and the AccurioLabel digital label press.

Bobst will promote its most recent introductions for narrow and mid-web label and packaging printing, including the Digital Master 340/510 All-in-One and Digital Expert 340 presses.

Ricoh will present a broad range of digital printing solutions including the Pro 8400 digital mono sheetfed press, Pro C7500 digital color sheetfed press, Pro C9500 digital color sheetfed press and Pro C5300 digital color sheetfed press, along with the Ricoh Auto Color Adjuster.

Canon will demonstrate a range of equipment including the Arizona flatbed UV series for rigid media, the UVgel/ Colorado M-series for high-productivity roll-to-roll printing, and the imagePROGRAF series for premium photo and fine art applications. These are supported by the PRISMA XL software suite. The showcase will also feature a mezzanine area highlighting retail interior décor, signage, and commercial applications, emphasizing Canon’s versatility in serving this market. The company will also present information and print samples from its varioPRESS iV7 B2 press and LabelStream 2000 digital label press.

Meanwhile, Fujifilm will offer visitors live demonstrations of its latest technologies for the analogue and digital print markets, including the Revoria Press PC1120, Revoria Press EC2100S and SC285S, Revoria Press E1136 and ApeosPro C multi-function printer.

Barry Killengrey, event director, Gulf Print and Pack, said: “We are delighted to welcome leading industry suppliers from across the commercial and package printing landscape to Gulf Print and Pack 2025 — another great reason why PSPs, commercial printers and packaging converters should visit the show.”