Ethara CEO maps out vision for new events company

The boss of Abu Dhabi’s new live entertainment powerhouse Ethara has shared his vision for the company.

Ethara officially launched earlier this month following the merger of state-owned promoter Flash Entertainment and Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management (ADMM).

Collectively, ADMM and Flash delivered hundreds of major events in the decade and a half since their inception, including the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yasalam After-Race Concerts and FIFA Club World Cup. News of their merger came weeks after European live group All Things Live launched a new operation in the Middle East, headed by veteran promoter Thomas Ovesen.

“Ethara means excitement, and that’s what we’re all about, we’re about delivering events and managing venues, and making moments that matter. That’s our focus,” CEO Saif Al-Noaimi tells Arab News. “So Ethara brings in 300 event and venue specialists under one structure and one umbrella and creates a capability that’s unrivalled in the region.

“If you look at the portfolio of what the team in Ethara has delivered over the 15 years in both ADMM and Flash Entertainment, we’ve delivered over 700 major events. We’ve had over 16 million attendees to these events over the last 15 years. And these are large global events.

“So, the capability that this team has, the experience, the expertise doesn’t exist [elsewhere], and creating this company Ethara brings all of that capability in-house, creates experiences, creates the ability to deliver to our guests and to our clients unrivalled experiences.”

“Bringing all these capabilities under one organisation gives us an amazing ability”

The firm will also continue to manage and oversee a portfolio of assets including Etihad Park, Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi’s Formula 1 circuit, Yas Marina Circuit and the Yas Conference Centre.

“Yas Marina Circuit being the iconic Formula One venue, Etihad Arena, the largest indoor multipurpose arena. Etihad Park, the largest outdoor dedicated venue for concerts, and Yas Conference Center, a multifunction venue,” adds Al-Noaimi. “Bringing all these capabilities under one organisation gives us an amazing ability and we’re really excited to see what comes out of this.”

Foo Fighters, who will be making their UAE debut, Tiësto and Ava Max are the first three headliners confirmed for the Yasalam After-Race Concerts lined up for F1’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend at Etihad Park in November.

Ethara, which has a remit to “shape the future of events, entertainment and venue management throughout the Middle East and beyond”, also has offices in Dubai and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“Both are very interesting markets for us,” adds Al-Noaimi. “Obviously, Dubai is right next door to us. And the kingdom is a growing market for events. What’s happened there in the last few years is unbelievable and very exciting. We want to be part of that growth in that journey.”

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