RIYADH: The number of entertainment event organization firms in Saudi Arabia rose 34 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2024, official data showed. The latest figures released by the Ministry of Commerce revealed that the total number of registered companies in the Kingdom reached 9,445 in the first three months of 2024. The ministry bulletin also disclosed that Riyadh topped the list by issuing 4,301 permits, followed by Makkah with 2,888 and the Eastern Province with 980. Madinah also issued 307, followed by Asir with 262. The surge in numbers in the entertainment sector aligns well with the Kingdom’s economic diversification goals of Vision 2030. Electronic games development Registered electronic game development companies in Saudi Arabia increased by 59 percent to reach 4,371 in the first quarter of 2024 in comparison to the corresponding period a year earlier, the data also revealed. The bulletin further revealed that Riyadh topped the list, issuing 2,494 permits, followed by Makkah with 988 and the Eastern Province with 478. Madinah also issued 137 registrations, followed by Qassim with 71. Delivery services via electronic platforms The ministry report showed that the number of firms connected to delivery services via electronic platforms in Saudi Arabia rose 61 percent year-on-year in the first three months of 2024. This comes as the Kingdom’s total number of registered companies reached 4,699 in the first quarter of 2024. According to the bulletin, Riyadh had the most permits with 2,473, followed by Makkah with 1,253 and the Eastern Province with 468. Madinah came next with 137 registrations, followed by Qassim at 114. The Ministry of Commerce’s quarterly bulletin sheds light on the growth in the number of business registration records, as well as the top sectors that experienced a significant boom during the period, along with the distribution of the exported records across different regions Kingdom-wide. It also features indicators of economic activities in promising divisions and the flourishing e-commerce scene in the country. Additionally, the report highlights the increase in financing for small and medium-sized enterprises as well as the recent conversion of establishments to companies under the New Companies Law.