webook.com today announced the acquisition of SmartMove, a Portugal-based event technology company specialising in membership management, ticketing systems, access control, fan engagement, e-commerce, and digital event operations. The acquisition marks a major milestone in webook.com’s international expansion strategy, establishing its first operational base in Europe and positioning the platform, built to handle the world’s most in-demand events, to scale its technology, partnerships, and event operations across the continent.
With more than 30 years of market presence, SmartMove is one of Portugal’s most deeply embedded sports technology companies. The market-leading company operates the technology behind the ticketing platforms and fan membership of Portugal’s biggest clubs, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), Liga Portugal, national cup competitions, and corporate ticketing platforms. At the heart of this is the management of club membership programmes, known as “Sócios”, which represent a critical revenue stream for clubs and often serve as a prerequisite for fans to purchase match tickets. This makes SmartMove’s platform structurally central to how Portuguese football operates commercially.
“The acquisition of SmartMove gives us something that cannot be built overnight, a credible, operational brilliance at the heart of the European market,” said Nadeem Bakhsh, Chief Executive Officer of webook.com. “Together, we are ready to innovate the live event and entertainment booking experience for fans and organizers.”
SmartMove’s capabilities complement webook.com’s existing strengths giving real fans an enjoyable ticketing experience. Together, the two platforms form a comprehensive, end-to-end offering for webook.com’s Super App for Fun: sports clubs, venues, events, festivals, restaurants, experience operators, flights and hotels and more across Europe. The acquisition gives webook.com an experienced European team operating at the highest standards, ready to scale across Europe which has one of the world’s largest and most sophisticated live entertainment ecosystems. The acquisition has already seen success in signing new agreements with clubs and large mega event organizers.
António Precatado, General Manager SmartMove commented “We built our position by becoming essential to how Portuguese football and other sports operate, from membership sign-up to ticketing and matchday access. With webook.com’s platform, investment, and international network behind us, we can now bring that model to clubs and venues across Europe.“
Having reached over 17 million users across more than 180 countries and processed more than 40 million ticket bookings, webook.com is now accelerating its European presence across professional football, motorsport, live entertainment, and fan experiences.
“We are built and operate like a Silicon Valley tech startup, serving one of the world’s most booming and fastest-growing sports and entertainment industries in Saudi Arabia at unprecedented scale, where fans have the voice to demand ticketing that works,“ Bakhsh added.
The acquisition reflects a broader trend of Saudi companies expanding globally and investing in high-potential international markets, contributing to the development of technology-driven industries beyond the region.
