Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — September 2024 — Mila Celebrations, a tech-powered event planning platform founded in early 2024, has successfully raised SAR 850,000 ($227,000) in a pre-seed funding round from angel investors. The funding is set to bolster the company’s ambitious plans to transform the event management industry in Saudi Arabia by expanding its service offerings and enhancing its app.
Since its inception, Mila has organized over 1,000 events, including weddings, birthdays, and graduations, establishing itself as a significant player in Saudi Arabia’s booming event industry, which generates over SAR 50 billion annually. The platform provides users with a seamless, all-in-one solution for event planning, covering services such as décor, catering, photography, and entertainment.
Muhammad Ghourbal, Founder of Mila Celebrations, emphasized the rising demand for premium event services in the region: “The event industry in Saudi Arabia is evolving, and we aim to provide a service that makes celebrating life’s special moments easier and more enjoyable. From weddings to birthdays, Saudis are known for their extravagant family celebrations, and Mila is designed to meet this demand.”
Family celebrations are deeply rooted in Saudi culture, with lavish spending on milestone events. According to Mila’s data, users spend an average of SAR 3,000 on birthday celebrations, while wedding costs often exceed SAR 200,000, reflecting the high value placed on family traditions. Saudi Arabia also ranks among the top countries globally for wedding expenditures per capita.
Mila Celebrations’ growth comes at a pivotal time as the Kingdom continues its efforts toward economic diversification and promoting domestic tourism, key elements of the Vision 2030 initiative. The platform is positioned to benefit from the increasing demand for convenient, tech-driven event services, which are becoming an integral part of Saudi Arabia’s modern lifestyle.
The new capital will be invested in further developing Mila’s platform, expanding its service range, and targeting new event categories, including corporate functions. Looking ahead, the company has ambitions to extend its reach beyond Saudi Arabia and into the broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) market.
As Saudi Arabia’s celebration industry continues to flourish, Mila Celebrations is poised to capitalize on the growing trend towards digitized event planning, offering a comprehensive and premium experience to its users.
