https://arab.news/gjgwr
- CEO Nadeem Bakhsh provides insight into new TruFan technology and how it aims to combat ticket scalpers
RIYADH: Ticket scarcity has long been accepted as a natural consequence of increasing demand for events, especially in Saudi Arabia, where rapid growth across multiple sectors has brought some of the world’s biggest sporting and entertainment events to the Kingdom.
WeBook has established itself as the market leader for ticketing platforms in Saudi Arabia, serving everything from music concerts to football matches and wrestling premium live events. Its recently launched technology, TruFan, is designed to help reshape the ticketing experience.
The company’s co-founder and CEO, Nadeem Bakhsh, spoke to Arab News recently about the latest development and his vision for the future of ticket sales.
“The problem arises when bad actors exploit that scarcity by creating fraudulent listings,” Bakhsh said. “Our role is not to eliminate market dynamics, but to ensure they operate within a fair, transparent, and controlled environment.”
“As the market leader, we believe we have a responsibility to protect fair access, maintain trust in the ticketing ecosystem, and ensure that high demand benefits the industry rather than those seeking to exploit it,” he said.
TruFan is designed as a measurable system, with its performance evaluated across several key areas. These include access integrity, building on WeBook’s existing anti-fraud infrastructure, as well as fan attendance, ticket utilization, fairer distribution, and retention and engagement, all aimed at enhancing fair access for supporters.
“When we say fair access, it does not mean that every fan will receive a ticket, but it means that genuine fans have a more credible and equitable opportunity to access tickets than bots, scalpers, fraudulent accounts, or users acting purely for resale,” explained Bakhsh.
“TruFan is designed to support that by assessing a broader set of trust and engagement signals, rather than allowing access to be determined solely by speed, automation, or purchasing power. It is one tool within a broader distribution strategy.”
Enhancing the ticketing system is becoming increasingly important for Saudi Arabia, which continues to see a rise in major events across the Kingdom.
TruFan’s launch comes as Saudi Arabia expands its position as a global destination for sport and entertainment ahead of major milestones, including the 2034 FIFA World Cup. According to Bakhsh, ticketing integrity will play a key role in shaping visitors’ perceptions of the Kingdom.
“If access to tickets for events in Saudi Arabia feels unsafe, unfair, or unreliable, that damages confidence not only in the event, but in the wider destination,” Bakhsh said.
“For Saudi Arabia, ticketing integrity is therefore not just an operational requirement. It is part of building long-term trust in the country as a world-class event destination. The standard must be that fans can discover, purchase, attend, and return with confidence.”
Returning fans, which represents one of TruFan’s key performance indicators, is an area that can be difficult to measure.
However, WeBook believes there is much to learn from the loyalty supporters show toward football clubs. Quantifying loyalty purely through spending power, a common industry practice, may not always provide the clearest picture.
“Historically, clubs have had fragmented views of their supporters,” Bakhsh said. “They may know who buys tickets or holds a membership, but that does not always provide a complete picture of genuine loyalty and engagement.”
“TruFan can help clubs bring together a wider range of trusted signals, including verified identity, attendance history, participation, community interaction, and existing supporter data held by the club,” he said.
“This allows clubs to identify fans based on sustained and authentic engagement, rather than relying solely on who spends the most, purchases first, or has the fastest internet connection.”
“Ultimately, the objective is not to create a rigid hierarchy or reduce loyalty to a single score. It is to give entities a more reliable and transparent framework for understanding their supporters and rewarding genuine commitment over time,” he said.