IN PROFILE
High and Wired KSA TECS Event Services launches High and Wired Saudi Arabia, bringing everything from rigging and automation, to ziplines and human slingshots to live events professionals and adrenaline junkies throughout the Kingdom.
If you attended MDLBEAST Soundstorm in December, there’s a good chance that you will have noticed the unusual sight of a certain superstar DJ hurtling along a zipline above the festival site. “Having Steve Aoki ride the line and pose for a few photos with the crew was a surreal moment,” recalled Shane Manning, Managing Director of High and Wired – the company behind the installation. “We have been back and forth with the MDLBEAST management team in the USA and UK on this zipline concept for a few years, so to see it come to fruition at one of the largest festivals in the world was amazing.” After launching event rigging and automation company TECS Event Services in Dubai in 2012, Manning founded sister company High and Wired – which focuses on adrenaline-fuelled activities such as ziplines, bungees and human slingshots – some four years later. Now, with the explosion of the Saudi Arabia market, High and Wired has been given a dedicated KSA branch, which combines both the live event rigging and extreme aerial adventure offerings all under one roof. With the new branch fully licensed and operational, the target for Manning is to bring it to the same level as its Dubai counterpart as soon as possible. “The goal is to have similar stock levels of not only generic trussing, rigging, and accessories, but also automation and performer flying equipment such as high-speed winches, automated hoists, and trolleys,” he stated. Manning believes that by being in Saudi Arabia with not only kit but also staff, High and Wired KSA will be able to offer a smoother and more cost-efficient service to its Saudi clients. “It’s no secret that it is becoming more and more cost prohibitive to truck goods over the border from the UAE,” he reasoned. “Plus, having people in the country will save the cost of putting people on planes and in hotels every few weeks – not to mention the environmental impact.” The KSA launch comes hot on the heels of a bumper 2023 for both TECS and High and Wired, which has seen both companies take on some of the region’s most high-profile projects. Manning recalled a few of the highlights, including: building a giant swing on top of Palm Tower for a film shoot starring US singer/songwriter, JVKE; a zipline at WWE Night of Champions in Jeddah; Middle East
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