Creative Technology Middle East Wins at Saudi Event Awards 2025

  • Leadership, Live Events, Sport
19 September, 2025
Harry Potter Experience in Riyadh Recognized for Outstanding Audio and Lighting Innovation

Riyadh, KSA – Creative Technology Middle East (CTME), the region’s leading provider of advanced audio-visual solutions, has been awarded the “Best Light & Sound Solution” category at the Saudi Event Awards 2025. This recognition highlights CTME’s exceptional technical delivery for the Harry Potter Experience in Riyadh, which ran from November 28, 2024, to January 27, 2025.

The Saudi Event Awards ceremony took place on September 18, 2025, at the JW Marriott Hotel in Riyadh, celebrating excellence and innovation across the Kingdom’s growing live events industry.

Immersion Through Invisible Technology

At the heart of the experience was an expansive, precision-engineered audio system featuring 320 L-Acoustics speakers distributed across multiple themed environments. The system utilized 340 individually routed audio channels, powered by dual-redundant Q-Sys 510i cores for robust signal routing and processing. The entire audio environment was modeled using Soundvision software and validated in collaboration with Warner Bros. sound designers to ensure complete authenticity.

Localized sound design brought enchanted objects and environments to life, while carefully placed audio created “invisible boundaries” that defined magical spaces without visible technical intrusion.

Lighting played an equally critical role, with approximately 3,000 LED fixtures from leading manufacturers forming a dynamic, narrative-driven visual landscape. Controlled through a fully redundant MA network, the lighting system achieved perfect synchronization with the audio, enabling seamless transitions between scenes and environments. The result was a fluid, responsive experience where light and sound evolved together in harmony with visitor movement and narrative cues.

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Advanced Systems Integration

A robust server infrastructure supported the experience, including 32 dedicated servers plus administrative servers managing high-resolution video content. This included an 11,500 x 6,500-pixel arrival tunnel, powered by 10 synchronized 4K outputs for a truly breathtaking first impression. Management was facilitated through IP-KVM for remote operation, while a 10 GbE network ensured uninterrupted, high-bandwidth content delivery across the venue.

The audio system featured redundant QLAB playback, automated ducking for prayer times, scheduled announcements, and an integrated emergency paging system. All networked components—including 240 AES67 and 100 Dante channels—were monitored and tuned using Network Manager and Q-Sys Designer, meeting the stringent technical requirements of both Warner Bros. and TAIT designers.

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3. SEA 2025 Best Light & Sound Creative Technology
5. SEA 2025 Best Light & Sound Creative Technology
Raising the Bar for Immersive Entertainment

This project represents a landmark in immersive experience design, combining 320 speakers, 3,000 lighting fixtures, and 32 servers into a seamlessly orchestrated system. The result was a fully immersive environment where the technology remained invisible, allowing visitors to lose themselves in the magic of the Wizarding World. CTME’s work on this project has set a new benchmark for large-scale experiential installations in the region.