The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, flush with petrodollars and ambition, continues to court Western content creators with jaw-dropping deals.
The latest? Saudi Arabia has signed YouTube titan MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) to headline the 2025 Riyadh Season, the kingdom’s annual entertainment extravaganza that drew 17 million visitors in 2024.
According to Turki Al-Sheikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA), MrBeast will spearhead the creation of “MrBeast Park,” a series of offline challenges, exclusive content, and immersive experiences tailored for the festival.
Donaldson is also slated to star as the headliner for the opening ceremony, cementing his role as the face of the event. While financial details remain under wraps, Riyadh Season’s budget is famously bottomless—previous editions have lured global heavyweights like WWE, top-tier football matches, and a world-class esports tournament.
For MrBeast, this marks a bold pivot. After a chaotic fan event in the U.S. in 2023 and a fizzled “experience” in Las Vegas, he’s now getting a shot at a permanent attraction. This time, Saudi Arabia is footing the bill and handling logistics, security, and infrastructure — key pain points from his past ventures.
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The move aligns with the kingdom’s broader Vision 2030 push to diversify its economy and position itself as a global tourism and entertainment hub, with a staggering $1.7 trillion earmarked for tourism development.
This isn’t just a one-off. MENA’s appetite for Western creators reflects a calculated strategy: leverage global influencers to boost soft power and draw international crowds.
MrBeast, with his 300 million YouTube subscribers and knack for viral stunts, fits the bill perfectly.
But the deal also raises questions about the sustainability of such lavish spending and the long-term impact on creators’ brands when they align with state-backed initiatives.
For now, the MENA money train shows no signs of slowing. As Saudi Arabia doubles down on spectacle, expect more creators to cash in—and more headlines to follow.
