The Saudi Film Authority announced, on Thursday, that the Kingdom will sponsor up to 40 percent of the budget for films shot on its soil, according to certain conditions.
The Saudi announcement came on the sidelines of the seventy-fifth edition of the Cannes Film Festival and published it Agency The official Saudi news, “SPA”.
And the Saudi Film Authority announced in a statement, “the start of the implementation of the incentives program for refunding up to 40 percent of eligible expenditures for incentives to support film production.” She noted that this would “make Saudi Arabia a global destination for film production.”
magazine website said,VarietyIt is clear that attracting international film and television productions is an essential part of this effort led by the Saudi government.
“We are pleased to welcome local, regional and international production companies to apply for the incentives and production program within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said Abdullah Al-Ayyaf, CEO of the Saudi Film Authority, adding that the Saudi film sector is growing at an accelerating pace.
He continued, “We continue to invest in developing local talent, infrastructure, and regulations to ensure that we are able to support all businesses. The incentive program will help empower local talent, attract global expertise, grow the film sector, showcase scenic locations, and communicate the Kingdom’s culture to the world.”
The authority called on Saudi and international production companies that plan to film partial or total in the Kingdom to apply for the incentive program through the website “www.film.sa” to benefit from the refundable sums of up to 40 percent of the expenses eligible for incentives according to conditions that include cooperation with cadres and talents. and highlighting the geographical and cultural features in Saudi Arabia.
Since it lifted a 35-year-old ban on cinema in 2017, Saudi Arabia has seen a boom in all aspects of the film industry, becoming the most lucrative region in West Asia in terms of box office revenues, according to the American magazine. It also hosted a film festival in Jeddah on the Red Sea.
According to the Saudi statement, over the past eighteen months, 3 major Hollywood films have been filmed in the Kingdom, namely “Kandahar”, which is filmed in the picturesque landscape of Al-Ula, in addition to “Desert Warrior” (the desert warrior), which is filmed in the city of Neom, and the crime drama film. Cherry”, which is filmed in Al-Ula and the capital, Riyadh.
In addition, eight Saudi feature films were filmed and completed in the kingdom over the past 12 months, according to the statement.
