The Saudi Film Commission announced on Thursday a financial refund incentive program with up to 40 percent of qualified expenses to support film production. This is expected to make Saudi Arabia a global destination for film production.
The program provides big support to local, regional and international film producers to shoot their works inside Saudi Arabia.
The commission called on Saudi and international production companies that are planning to partially or fully shoot in the oil-rich kingdom to apply for the incentive program through the website www.film.sa so as to benefit from the financial refund. The conditions include cooperating with local staff and talents and highlighting geographical and cultural landmarks in the country.
“We are happy to welcome local, regional and international production companies to apply for the incentive program and produce in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the CEO of the commission Eng. Abdullah Al Ayyaf said.
The commission’s announcement was made at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
Saudi Arabia’s film industry is considered one of the fastest growing in the Middle East.
Over the last 18 months Saudi Arabia has provided the backdrop for three major Hollywood films, Ric Roman Waugh’s action thriller ‘Kandahar’ filmed in the extraordinary landscape of AlUla, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hegra, and Jeddah, Rupert Wyatt’s historical epic ‘Desert Warrior’ shot in the incredible new city state of Neom and the region of Tabuk, and the Russo Brothers’ crime drama ‘Cherry’ shot in AlUla and the capital Riyadh.
In addition, 8 local feature films have been shot in the last 12 months and are ready to hit the festival circuit along with a slew of documentaries, commercials and local productions including ‘Norah’ written and directed by Tawfik Alzaidi and ‘Within Sand’ directed by Moe Alatawi.
Both films were recipients of a fund award at the Saudi Film Commission’s Daw’ Film Competition, an initiative launched by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture to support Saudi film production.
