Dubai, UAE — Saudi Arabia’s film production sector grew by 28 percent by the end of the second quarter of 2023, with more than 1700 records, compared to 1300 records during the same period last year.
The Business Sector Bulletin issued by the Ministry of Commerce said the highest regions in terms of records are Riyadh with 953 records, Makkah Al-Mukarramah (501), Eastern (155), Madinah (51) and Qassim with 22 records.
Huge investments help Saudi cinema soft power grow
Accompanying Naomi Campbell on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival in June was one of cinema’s most powerful men — and he represents a country where cinemas were banned until five years ago.
Mohammed Al Turki, 36, heads Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Foundation, his name splashed all over posters and movie credits at the world’s biggest cinema gathering on the French Riviera.
The foundation, formed two years ago, holds its own annual festival and has already financed 168 movies, including eight in the official selection at Cannes this year.
Among them was festival opener “Jeanne du Barry” about a French prostitute falling in love with King Louis XV, played by Johnny Depp.
Others seemed equally at odds with traditional Saudi values — female-focused films such as “Four Daughters” about the religious radicalization of Tunisian girls, or “Goodbye Julia” about a Sudanese woman and her overbearing conservative husband.
“We have learned to respect other cultures,” Emad Iskandar, director of the Red Sea Film Foundation, told AFP.
He said the foundation focuses on Arab and African filmmakers, though the precise definition seems flexible: the French director of “Jeanne du Barry”, Maiwenn, qualified thanks to her Algerian father.
“As long as we have the resources, we want to serve the region, but also take the opportunity to learn more,” Iskandar added.
Al Turki’s foundation also sponsored a gala for women, attended by Catherine Deneuve, Katie Holmes and supermodel Campbell.
“MO!! Proud of all your doing @redseafilm creating history of many 1st’s and Changing the narrative,” Campbell wrote of Al Turki on her Instagram.
Saudi largesse for the arts has boomed under the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with billions pouring into previously taboo areas such as music, fashion and sports.
“Come to visit and get to know Saudi Arabia and then talk about us. The West has arrived where it is after years of wars and debates. We are a 90-year-old state — be patient.”
Cannes director Thierry Fremaux celebrated the kingdom’s interest in “producing films and allowing artists to emerge”.
“Saudi Arabia is evolving,” he told Variety.
The Saudi cinema market has experienced rapid growth over the last five years, attracting the attention of investors who anticipate achieving box office revenues exceeding US$1bn by 2030, placing it among the top 20 global cinema markets.
Read full story here: Revenue from Saudi cinema may exceed $1bn by 2030
Revenue from Saudi cinema may exceed $1bn by 2030
The Saudi cinema market has experienced rapid growth over the last five years, attracting the attention of investors who anticipate achieving box office revenues exceeding US$1bn by 2030, placing it among the top 20 global cinema markets.
According to a report issued by Entertainment Solution Services, the revenue of Saudi cinemas increased by 9.47 percent in 2022, reaching approximately US$240 million until December 25, 2022, compared to 2021’s revenue of US$232 million.
In 2022, more than 14 million cinema tickets were sold, up from 13 million in 2021, according to data from the General Authority for Audiovisual Media. In terms of revenues, the American film Top Gun: Maverick ranked first with US$22.4 million.
Egyptian movies account for 30 percent of the Saudi box office despite accounting for only 6.5 percent of the total films shown, including Tamer Hosni’s “I Love You,” which grossed US$15.6 million.