On Thursday 27th October 2022, Riyadh Season opened the Saudi Anime Expo, and organizers conveyed that there would be a plethora of exciting live performances, art and music from the Japanese genre.
Japan’s Ambassador Fumio Iwai, Saudi Entertainment Authority CEO Faisal Bafarat, Manga Production CEO Dr. Essam Bukhari, Groundworks CEO Yasuhiro Kamimura, and Shueisha Inc. General Manager Takanori Asada all attended the opening ceremony of the event.
Faisal Bafarat conveyed that this year’s Saudi Anime Expo has over 30 experiences planned for visitors and fans to enjoy, “This expo is evidence of the diversity of content in Riyadh Season and we cater to all interests.” He added, “After the success of the expo in 2019, we worked on several partnerships with the Japanese side, and the Anime Expo in 2022 is the result of this cooperation and partnership,” explaining that the kingdom has a major connection with Japanese anime culture and has a diverse following in the country across all backgrounds and ages.
The Saudi Anime Expo will run for three days and fans will have the opportunity to meet their favorite anime characters, attend celebrity performances, speak with the creators of their favorite anime shows and films, as well as the voice over actors, and get the chance to participate in cosplay competitions. Fans will also get to attend screenings of the latest anime films.
In a statement to a local press outlet, Groundworks’ Kamimura said, “This is the first time I’ve participated in an event in Saudi Arabia, and I am very happy and surprised by the size of the expo. I participated in many anime exhibitions in the world, but for the first time, I saw this great variety in the same place and of such high quality. I am happy with the number of Saudis who love Japanese business.”
Saudi’s Anime Expo will be selling a variety of original products related to a number of anime characters and franchises and fans will also be able to indulge in Japanese cuisine.
