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Saudi Arabia Unveils Largest Entertainment Destination in Aseer Worth over SAR 1.3 Billion

With an investment value of more than SAR 1.3 billion, the entertainment destination is strategically located between the cities of Abha and Khamis Mushait, near Abha International Airport. (SPA)
With an investment value of more than SAR 1.3 billion, the entertainment destination is strategically located between the cities of Abha and Khamis Mushait, near Abha International Airport. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Unveils Largest Entertainment Destination in Aseer Worth over SAR 1.3 Billion

With an investment value of more than SAR 1.3 billion, the entertainment destination is strategically located between the cities of Abha and Khamis Mushait, near Abha International Airport. (SPA)
With an investment value of more than SAR 1.3 billion, the entertainment destination is strategically located between the cities of Abha and Khamis Mushait, near Abha International Airport. (SPA)

Governor of Aseer Region and Chairman of Aseer Development Authority “ASDA” Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdulaziz oversaw the announcement of SEVEN’s fifth entertainment destination in the Kingdom and the first in the Aseer region, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Sunday.

With an investment value of more than SAR 1.3 billion, the entertainment destination is strategically located between the cities of Abha and Khamis Mushait, near Abha International Airport. The development is set on a land size of 64,000 square meters with a built-up area of more than 79,000 square meters.

Designed by Gensler, a global architecture, design, and planning firm, the architecture was inspired by the ancient stone buildings of the area to highlight the identity of Aseer. The design aligns with the principles of The Urban Code of Aseer Region, which aims to promote excellence in urban planning, design, landscape and architecture, while respecting the identity of the region.

Prince Turki said: “Aseer region is witnessing an unprecedented renaissance across different sectors and verticals through the endless support from our leadership. SEVEN’s entertainment destination in Abha is one of the key projects in Aseer which will support our ambition to become a global destination all year round.”

Chairman of the Board of Directors of SEVEN Abdullah AlDawood said: “Abha represents another ambitious project in the framework of our efforts to support the entertainment sector across the Kingdom following the objectives and goals of Vision 2030. We forecast a GDP contribution of more than SAR 4 billion and over 5 million visitors by 2030. In addition to creating more than hundreds of direct and indirect jobs for the people of Aseer region.”

He added: “We have been keen, in cooperation with the Aseer Development Authority and under the direct supervision of Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, to ensure that the architectural design of the destination is inspired by the ancient heritage of the region, while providing unique and distinctive entertainment attractions for guests of all age groups, enriching their quality of life.”

“We extend our sincere appreciation to our strategic partners for supporting our efforts to develop the entertainment landscape in the region.”

SEVEN, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has appointed Modern Building Leaders to undertake the construction works.

SEVEN Abha will be home to eight unique attractions, which includes a family entertainment center offering various experiences from arcade games, unique world-class rides to Virtual reality areas.

There will be a Discovery Adventures jungle-themed edutainment attraction created in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment, an outdoor jungle-themed attraction that provides exciting educational entertainment experiences; a PLAY-DOH themed entertainment center that taps into children’s creativity and imagination under license by leading toy and game company Hasbro; and a 12-hole indoor golf adventure area with the latest technology for an immersive gaming experience.

Visitors can experience a full range of live entertainment events at the multipurpose venue, indoor e-karting on multi-level tracks, a 10-lane futuristic bowling concept, ten screens for cinema from AMC and many more fun-filled experiences all under one roof. In addition, SEVEN will bring a wide range of retail and F&B offerings with something to suit everyone.

SEVEN has partnered with leading companies in their fields to design the entertainment attractions in Abha, including Cundall, Theme 3, Top Notch, Holofice, Thinkwell and Sea Quest.

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Video Game Performers Will Go on Strike Over Artificial Intelligence Concerns 

SAG-AFTRA signage is seen on the side of the headquarters in Los Angeles on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP)
SAG-AFTRA signage is seen on the side of the headquarters in Los Angeles on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP)
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Video Game Performers Will Go on Strike Over Artificial Intelligence Concerns 

SAG-AFTRA signage is seen on the side of the headquarters in Los Angeles on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP)
SAG-AFTRA signage is seen on the side of the headquarters in Los Angeles on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP)

Hollywood's video game performers announced they would go on strike Thursday, throwing part of the entertainment industry into another work stoppage after talks for a new contract with major game studios broke down over artificial intelligence protections.

The strike — the second for video game voice actors and motion capture performers under the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists — will begin at 12:01 a.m. Friday. The move comes after nearly two years of negotiations with gaming giants, including divisions of Activision, Warner Bros. and Walt Disney Co., over a new interactive media agreement.

SAG-AFTRA negotiators say gains have been made over wages and job safety in the video game contract, but that the two sides remained split over the regulation of generative AI. A spokesperson for the video game producers, Audrey Cooling, said the studios offered AI protections, but SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating committee said that the studios’ definition of who constitutes a "performer" is key to understanding the issue of who would be protected.

"The industry has told us point blank that they do not necessarily consider everyone who is rendering movement performance to be a performer that is covered by the collective bargaining agreement," SAG-AFTRA Chief Contracts Officer Ray Rodriguez said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. He said some physical performances are being treated as "data."

Without guardrails, game companies could train AI to replicate an actor’s voice, or create a digital replica of their likeness without consent or fair compensation, the union said.

"We strike as a matter of last resort. We have given this process absolutely as much time as we responsibly can," Rodriguez told reporters. "We have exhausted the other possibilities, and that is why we’re doing it now."

Cooling said the companies' offer "extends meaningful AI protections."

"We are disappointed the union has chosen to walk away when we are so close to a deal, and we remain prepared to resume negotiations," she said.

Andi Norris, an actor and member of the union's negotiating committee, said that those who do stunt work or creature performances would still be at risk under the game companies' offer.

"The performers who bring their body of work to these games create a whole variety of characters, and all of that work must be covered. Their proposal would carve out anything that doesn’t look and sound identical to me as I sit here, when, in truth, on any given week I am a zombie, I am a soldier, I am a zombie soldier," Norris said. "We cannot and will not accept that a stunt or movement performer giving a full performance on stage next to a voice actor isn’t a performer."

The global video game industry generates well over $100 billion dollars in profit annually, according to game market forecaster Newzoo. The people who design and bring those games to life are the driving force behind that success, SAG-AFTRA said.

Members voted overwhelmingly last year to give leadership the authority to strike. Concerns about how movie studios will use AI helped fuel last year’s film and television strikes by the union, which lasted four months.

The last interactive contract, which expired in November 2022, did not provide protections around AI but secured a bonus compensation structure for voice actors and performance capture artists after an 11-month strike that began in October 2016. That work stoppage marked the first major labor action from SAG-AFTRA following the merger of Hollywood’s two largest actors unions in 2012.

The video game agreement covers more than 2,500 "off-camera (voiceover) performers, on-camera (motion capture, stunt) performers, stunt coordinators, singers, dancers, puppeteers, and background performers," according to the union.

Amid the tense interactive negotiations, SAG-AFTRA created a separate contract in February that covered independent and lower-budget video game projects. The tiered-budget independent interactive media agreement contains some of the protections on AI that video game industry titans have rejected. Games signed to an interim interactive media agreement, tiered-budget independent interactive agreement or interim interactive localization agreement are not part of the strike, the union said.