Saudi-born entertainment and sports technology platform webook.com has expanded into Europe with the acquisition of SmartMove, a Portugal-based event technology company with deep roots in sports ticketing and fan membership systems. The deal marks webook.com’s first European acquisition and gives the company an operational base from which to scale its technology, partnerships, and event services across the continent. It also highlights the growing international ambitions of Saudi technology companies as they seek to export locally developed platforms to global markets.
A Saudi Technology Platform Enters Europe
Headquartered in Riyadh, webook.com has positioned itself as a live experiences platform serving major entertainment and sports events across multiple markets. The company said it has reached more than 17 million users in over 180 countries and processed more than 40 million ticket bookings since launch. Its acquisition of SmartMove represents a strategic step beyond regional growth, placing a Saudi-built technology platform directly inside Europe’s sports and entertainment ecosystem.
SmartMove brings more than three decades of experience in event technology, with a focus on membership management, ticketing systems, access control, customer relationship management, e-commerce, and digital operations. The Portuguese company has worked with major football institutions, including leading clubs, the Portuguese Football Federation, Liga Portugal, national cup competitions, and corporate ticketing platforms. Its market knowledge and existing client relationships give webook.com a practical entry point into one of Europe’s most active sports markets.
Combining Local Expertise With Scalable Technology
The acquisition is designed to combine SmartMove’s local experience in club membership, ticketing, venue access, and matchday operations with webook.com’s broader technology infrastructure. webook.com’s capabilities include event discovery, high-demand ticketing, fan engagement tools, AI-supported anti-scalping measures, identity-linked ticketing, digital commerce, and controlled resale features. Together, the two companies aim to strengthen the digital infrastructure used by clubs, venues, event organizers, and fans.
Nadeem Bakhsh, Chief Executive Officer of webook.com, described the transaction as a Saudi technology export story built on global ambition. He said the acquisition demonstrates how companies from the Kingdom are now developing platforms capable of competing internationally while acquiring global capabilities. Bakhsh also linked the expansion to the wider environment created by Vision 2030, which has encouraged Saudi companies to think beyond domestic and regional markets.
Why Portugal Was Chosen
Portugal was selected as webook.com’s first European base because of its strong football culture, growing tourism industry, advanced digital capabilities, and active live entertainment market. These factors make the country a suitable launchpad for a company seeking to expand across European sports, entertainment, and live events. Through SmartMove, webook.com gains not only technology assets but also an experienced team already embedded in the local market.
António Precatado, General Manager of SmartMove, said the company had built its position by becoming essential to how Portuguese football and other sports manage the fan journey. He noted that SmartMove’s systems support processes from membership sign-up to ticketing and matchday access. With webook.com’s platform, investment, and international network, he said SmartMove is now better positioned to bring its model to more clubs and venues across Europe.
Building Toward Broader European Growth
The deal gives webook.com a foundation to pursue new partnerships and projects in the European market. The company is expected to announce additional collaborations in the coming weeks as it continues to expand its international footprint. Its broader strategy appears focused on combining high-demand event infrastructure with localized sports and entertainment expertise.
For Saudi Arabia’s technology sector, the transaction carries significance beyond a single corporate acquisition. It reflects the increasing ability of Saudi companies to build advanced platforms domestically and then scale them into mature international markets. In webook.com’s case, the company is not only entering Europe but also taking Saudi-built infrastructure, operational experience, and commercial ambition into a highly competitive global industry.
webook.com’s acquisition of SmartMove marks a notable step in the internationalization of Saudi entertainment and sports technology. By securing a European operational base and integrating SmartMove’s long-standing expertise, the company is positioning itself to serve clubs, venues, organizers, and fans across the continent. The deal underscores a broader shift in which Saudi technology companies are moving from local innovation to global expansion, with Europe now becoming a key part of that trajectory.