MENALAC elects new board at Its 5th AGM

Dubai - At its recently held 5^th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on May 27, 2021, MENALAC announced the highly-anticipated election results of its vacant Board positions while welcoming a majority attendance from its members.

The names of the winning Board Members were announced by UHY James Chartered Accountants, who acted as an independent Election Officer, and oversaw the online election process, held prior to the AGM.

Meet MENALAC’s new President and re-elected Office Bearers 

Mishal Al Hokair, Deputy CEO & General Manager - Entertainment of Al Hokair Group has been elected as MENALAC’s new President. With the Leisure and Attractions sector reaching new heights in Saudi Arabia, Mishal Al Hokair, a Saudi national, brings a raft of new industry insights to the board.

Mishal Al Hokair, MENALAC President and Deputy CEO & General Manager - Entertainment of Al Hokair Group, said “I am grateful to be surrounded by a wonderful board of directors that have a shared vision for relevance and development in this ever-changing environment. I would like to express my deep appreciation to the previous MENALAC presidents for all the efforts and support they’ve provided during the last period. Furthermore, I would like to thank all the MENALAC committees (Manufacturers & Suppliers – Finance – Events – Membership) for the efforts and the great values they’ve added to MENALAC and to the entertainment industry”.

Outgoing MENALAC President and Vice President of Operations at Farah Experiences, Alhasan Kaabous Alzaabi, said “My time as President of MENALAC over the last couple of years has been an incredible leadership opportunity. This role has allowed me to collaborate with industry players across the Leisure and Attractions sector to initiate real change and work on transformative issues that will hopefully continue to shine a light on the incredible opportunities that the MENA region has to offer.”

Silvio Liedtke, CEO of Landmark Leisure was re-elected as Vice President and Dr. Dattakumar, Director of Operations at Antic’s Land was re-elected as Treasurer of the Council for a term of two years, and Rosa Tahmaseb remains the Secretary General for the association.

Meet MENALAC’s new Operator Board members

Mark Tucker, General Manager of Adventureland and Shahzad Ali, CEO of Cheeky Monkeys Playland were re-elected while Jamie Charlesworth, Director of Operations at SEVEN and Rajiv Sangari, Vice President - Marketing, International Business & Licensing at IMG Worlds of Adventure were elected to the four vacant Operator Board positions for a two-year term (2021-2023).

Meet MENALAC’s new Manufacturer & Suppliers Board members

Mike Rigby, Executive Vice President Middle East and India at Whitewater was re-elected and Eric Beauregard, Vice President Global Sales & Marketing at Triotech was elected to the two vacant Manufacturer & Suppliers Board positions for a two-year term (2021-2023).

MENALAC’s board members play a key role in developing the council’s strategy and policies, establishing and monitoring its finances, and organizing events and reports that bring second-to-none value to all community members.

Rosa Tahmaseb, MENALAC Secretary General said “It was great to see such enthusiastic attendance at our fifth Annual General Meeting. MENALAC is a rapidly growing community of 86 members representing more than 600 operations across 17 countries. Committed to further enriching our industry’s offering and bringing incredible value to our members, MENALAC has an exciting term ahead, filled with the launch of a first-of-its-kind industry report and exclusive member events”.

Meet the new MENALAC Board

• Mishal Al Hokair, Al Hokair Group (President)
• Silvio Liedtke, Landmark Leisure (Vice President)
• Dr. Janaradana Dattakumar, Antic’s Land (Treasurer)
• Sheikha Monira Al Sabah, Play Enterprises & Trampo Extreme (Board Member)
• Kareem Fayed, Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism Co. (Board Member)
• Mark Haak Wegmann, MAF Leisure, Entertainment & Cinemas (Board Member)
• Shifa Yusuffali, Ideacrate Edutainment (Board Member)
• Craig McIntyre, Qiddiya (Board Member)
• Prakash Vivekanand, The Zone Amusement Arcade LLC (Board Member)
• Chris Swartz, Wild Wadi (Board Member)
• Zeina Dagher, Emaar Entertainment (Board Member)
• Mark Tucker, Adventureland (Operator Board)
• Shazad Ali Abdullah, Cheeky Monkeys Playland (Operator Board)
• Jamie Charlesworth, SEVEN (Operator Board)
• Rajiv Sangari, IMG Worlds of Adventure (Operator Board)
• Mike Rigby, Whitewater (Manufacturer & Suppliers Board)
• Eric Beauregard, Triotech (Manufacturer & Suppliers Board) 

The pioneering MENA Leisure Report (MLR) approaches completion
At this 5^th AGM, it was highlighted to all members that the new and groundbreaking MENA LEISURE REPORT (MLR) is close to completion and in final review prior to publication. The MLR is an industry book that will be available as both a hardbound coffee table book and as a digital flipbook.

It will offer a wealth of Per Country reports; highlighting key statistics and vital data about the state of each country's economy, population and demographic. 

The MLR will also feature a section dedicated to vital industry data which has been received from top operators in the region’s Leisure and Attractions industry. This data is derived from a survey that was created and managed by the team at MENALAC and will, for the very first time, allow all businesses, suppliers and investors to truly see a current representation of the industry.

In addition it will offer valuable and insightful information that will help the industry continue to grow and thrive in the MENA region.

Prakash Vivekanand, Board Member of MENALAC and the Chairman of the MENA Leisure Report Committee, said “The MENA Leisure report is an exclusive publication laden with qualified data from MENA leisure, entertainment and attractions industry, We are in the final stages of compiling and producing the first ever comprehensive market and industry report for the MENA Leisure & Entertainment Industry. We are indeed pleased with the data we have collected and the information we are putting together within the report. We are certain that this report will be a huge benefit to members of MENALAC as well as industry decision makers, business leaders and stakeholders. The report will truly be a celebration of the vibrant and dynamic leisure industry in the MENA region”.

The AGM also presented an opportunity to highlight the success of the MENALAC Conference and Awards Gala, which was held in a virtual capacity, to great acclaim by all players within the industry. The council is pleased to be planning some high-level and exciting industry events, aimed at assisting its members as they continue to align themselves with the “new norms” that have now become the way each business has to operate.

MENALAC would like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing board members and Office Bearers for their support and dedication to MENALAC, and to welcome all new Board of Directors, Office Bearers and Heads of Committees to its fast-growing association. 

For more information about MENALAC, please visit www.menalac.org/en 

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About MENALAC:

Established in 2014, the Middle East and North Africa Leisure and Attractions Council (MENALAC) is a not-for-profit platform representing the Leisure, Entertainment and Attractions industry in the Middle East and North Africa.

With over 470 operations and 200 brands from 22 countries in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region including Pakistan and Afghanistan, MENALAC offers great benefit to the industry as a platform for stakeholders to interact and stay informed. It has been set up under the aegis of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and the Dubai Association Centre in 2016 when leading companies within the region’s entertainment industry, including Theme Parks, Visitor Attractions, Water Parks and Family Entertainment Centres companies joined forces to form a council to support the growth and development of the industry.

The Council was established as a platform to promote safe operations, regional development, professional growth and commercial success of the amusement industry and to be an indispensable resource for the Council’s members and an international authority for the attraction industry.

Website: www.menalac.org/en 

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© Press Release 2021