An official United Kingdom trade delegation to Saudi Arabia served as the catalyst for the arrangement.

A company that was instrumental in the success of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 last year will train thousands of Saudis on event management and safety procedures, local Saudi outlet Arab News reported.

Stadium LLC, based in Qatar, and Saudi Excellence Co. have inked a deal to open a training academy in Saudi Arabia to export knowledge.

The agreement comes as Saudi Arabia seeks to expand its live entertainment and events industry as part of its Vision 2030 drive to diversify the economy and lessen its reliance on oil earnings.

At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Stadium LLC, a subsidiary of the UK company Stadium, trained almost 8,500 security personnel, helping to ensure the safety of around 3.4 million spectators throughout eight stadiums.

“This is a really exciting agreement which will help to play a key role in propelling sport and expanding industry in Saudi Arabia — a country which has a tremendous appetite for live events and is making significant waves in the world of sport,” said David McAtamney, owner and founder of Stadium, as quoted by reports.

“Saudi Arabia has a population of more than 35 million and over two-thirds of those are under the age of 35, and growing the security and events management industry in the country and creating jobs is key to unlocking its sporting potential.”

Saudi Excellence Co., a member of the Al-Ramez International Group and one of the top security and defense firms in the area, serves the Saudi government.

The partnership was established as a result of Stadium’s significant involvement in the World Cup, in which it provided safety training to tens of thousands of workers in Qatar.

An official UK trade delegation to Saudi Arabia served as the catalyst for the arrangement, reports said.

As one of oil-richest countries worldwide, Saudi Arabia is looking to boost and diversify its economy away from petrodollars, instead looking at potential investment of hundreds of billions of dollars in ‘gigaprojects’.

Safety at Qatar 2022

Qatar welcome the highest number of international visitors last year as many flocked to the Gulf state for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Security was a central element in the decade-long preparation for the World Cup, which saw Qatar partner with defence entities from several countries in the region and beyond.

The World Cup in Doha was widely praised for its security and safety, in which a friendly atmosphere allowed for families to attend without concerns.

Speaking to Doha News during the tournament, fans said they felt “extremely” safe particularly when compared to previous World Cups where they said they were “too afraid” to hold their belongings in their hands freely.