Biography
Turki Alalshikh is a Saudi entertainment leader and influential figure in global combat sports, with work spanning film, television, and large-scale live entertainment.
As Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, he launched Riyadh Season in 2019 as an annual multi-month festival held in the Saudi capital. Spanning sports, live concerts, professional wrestling, film, gaming, and cultural exhibitions across dozens of dedicated zones, the festival has grown into one of the largest live entertainment platforms in the world. Under his leadership, Riyadh Season has hosted WWE Crown Jewel, the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition featuring Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner, the Joy Awards honoring leading figures in Arab entertainment, headline concerts, and a series of major international boxing events, collectively drawing tens of millions of visitors and helping position Saudi Arabia as a global entertainment hub.
As an executive producer, he originated the story for 7 Dogs, a $40 million international action thriller directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, widely regarded as the largest Arabic-language film production to date. He also serves as executive producer on Brawler, directed by Zack Snyder. His debut novel Cello was adapted into a supernatural thriller starring Jeremy Irons. He also originated the idea for Al Amir, an upcoming Arabic drama series starring Ahmed Ezz and directed by Stephen Hopkins, set to be released in 2027.
Beyond film and television, he has played a major role in shaping modern boxing through Riyadh Season. Among the most significant events staged under the banner are the undisputed heavyweight championship between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, the IBF heavyweight title fight between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium, and the light heavyweight unification between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. Other top fighters to headline Riyadh Season cards include Terence Crawford, Saul Alvarez, and Naoya Inoue. He was involved in the launch of Zuffa Boxing in 2025 and has worked to restore The Ring's standing as the sport's premier independent rankings authority.
Boxing News named him Promoter of the Year in 2025, while The Independent ranked him first on its list of the fifty most influential figures in boxing and MMA. In 2024, the World Boxing Council awarded him its Man of the Year honor.
