Saudi-born entertainment and sports technology platform webook.com has made its first move into Europe with the acquisition of Portugal-based SmartMove, an event technology company with more than 30 years of market experience.
Acquisition details and benefits
The deal gives webook.com an operational base in Europe and expands its capabilities in membership management, ticketing systems, and access control, as well as customer relationship management, e-commerce, and digital event operations, according to a press release.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but the company said it has reached more than 17 million users across more than 180 countries and processed more than 40 million ticket bookings.
Strategic significance for Saudi Arabia
The acquisition marks an important step for the Kingdom's technology sector, reflecting the growing international ambitions of Saudi-born companies and aligning with the broader goals of Vision 2030.
“Webook.com was built in Saudi Arabia with global ambition from day one,” said Nadeem Bakhsh, CEO of webook.com. “This acquisition is a Saudi technology export story. It shows how companies from the Kingdom are now building platforms capable of competing internationally, acquiring global capabilities, and contributing to the future of sports and entertainment technology,” he added.
Bakhsh said Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has helped create conditions for local technology companies to expand internationally.
Growth of Saudi entertainment and sports sectors
Saudi Arabia’s live events market has expanded rapidly under the strategy, with the General Entertainment Authority reporting more than 89 million visitors to entertainment activities in 2025, up from 76.9 million visitors across 423 entertainment destinations in 2024.
Saudi Arabia’s sports sector is also scaling quickly, with its market value projected to rise from about $8 billion to $22.4 billion by 2030, according to SURJ Sports Investments.
The Kingdom has hosted more than 100 major international events across 40 sports since 2019, reflecting the growing role of sports and entertainment in its economic diversification agenda.
CEO comments
“Vision 2030 created the environment for Saudi companies to think bigger and build for the world,” Bakhsh said, adding: “SmartMove gives us a strong operational foundation in Europe, with deep expertise in football membership, ticketing, and matchday access.”
SmartMove provides technology for sports clubs, leagues, venues and event operators.
“This is exactly the kind of global growth Saudi technology companies are capable of,” Bakhsh added. “We are not only expanding internationally. We are taking Saudi-built infrastructure, operational expertise, and ambition into global markets.”
Future outlook
Webook.com said it expects to announce further European partnerships and projects in the coming weeks as it continues to expand its international presence.
