Portugal Entry Marks webook.com’s First European Acquisition and the Launch of a Full-Scale Expansion Across Portugal’s Entertainment & Sports Technology Sector
Lisbon, Portugal [10/06/2026]- 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.
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About webook.com
webook.com is a Saudi-born global technology platform for live experiences, built to operate at the scale and intensity of the world’s most in-demand events. More than a ticketing provider, it brings together event discovery, ticketing, fan engagement, digital event operations, and integrated travel services, including flights, hotels, restaurants, and local experiences, into a single, end-to-end ecosystem. Its infrastructure is engineered for high-demand environments, with the ability to manage over 2 million users in a single queue and deliver high-volume ticket releases exceeding 65,000 tickets per event, with speed, reliability, and control. Advanced capabilities, including proprietary queuing systems, AI-driven anti-bot and anti-fraud technology, identity-linked ticketing, and controlled resale, help ensure fair and secure access at scale. Since launch, webook.com has reached over 17 million users across more than 180 countries and processed more than 40 million ticket bookings, while maintaining a 4.6+ app rating across iOS and Android. With a rapidly expanding international footprint, including Europe, webook.com is building the infrastructure powering how fans discover, access, and experience live events globally.
About SmartMove
Smartmove, Serviços de Mobilidade S.A., is a Portugal-based event technology company with more than 30 years of market experience. The company specialises in club membership management and ticketing systems, digital access control, CRM, e-commerce, and digital event operations. SmartMove is the technology partner behind the membership and ticketing platforms of Portugal’s leading football clubs, including the “big three” Sporting CP, FC Porto, and SL Benfica, for 18 years until 2018, as well as the Portuguese Football Federation, FPF, Liga Portugal, and international football federations. The company also operates in Brazil and other international markets. SmartMove’s product suite includes SmartFAN, fan-facing digital services and membership, SmartSPORTS, club and league operations, SmartARENA, venue management, SmartVENUE, exhibition and conference venues, and SmartEVENT, event management. For more information, visit www.smartmove.pt.