There is no talk in the Egyptian artistic community in the current period other than the increasing Saudi openness to the level of entertainment, in conjunction with the deteriorating economic conditions in Egypt, which greatly and directly affect the art industry in the country. This is added to other crises, including monopoly, regulatory tightening, and the absence of competition, which makes the new Saudi market a lifeline for workers in the art sector, at a time when some of them consider it a threat to Egyptian soft power and the future of artistic production in the country, due to the increasing Saudi influence in this industry, which was characterized by Egypt for many years.
The discussion within the Egyptian artistic circles shifted from talking regarding the threats to the art scene due to the Saudi openness, to talking regarding the migration of workers in the artistic community to the Kingdom to reside and work in it, especially in light of the great prosperity that various entertainment fields know. The talk was no longer limited to the presence of big stars only in Saudi Arabia, and the holding of concerts and plays there, but extended to talking regarding the transfer of technicians, workers and other groups in the creative industry, who represent the backbone of this sector in Egypt.
The concerns of art makers in Egypt have emerged from private sessions to the public in the recent period, especially following developments in Saudi Arabia with the increase in the volume of production in the Kingdom. Last October, Egyptian director Amr Salama expressed his fears regarding the emigration of workers in the artistic community to the Kingdom. He is one of the first artists to speak openly regarding the existence of a labor crisis in Egypt, due to the presence of technicians in Saudi Arabia for long periods.
Amr Salama said at the time: “There are a large number of artists and work crews who are not present in Egypt like the first, because they are either filmed in Saudi Arabia for the abundance of its production now, or in Lebanon for the ease of production in it … Now there are also precursors of migration for local cadres and also for the Egyptian production process. itself…”.
The recent period has already witnessed the movement of a number of artists and makers to Riyadh, especially those who work in the industry, which faced a noticeable emigration of the technical staff in it, due to its great impact on the economic crisis as a result of the small size of commercial advertisements, and the difference between the industry and the drama and cinema. While the latter is still ongoing and takes a long time to implement, the advertisements depend on a few filming days, so their absence directly affects the material return of those working in them.
Today, there has been talk of entire companies moving to work in Saudi Arabia instead of Egypt, especially following the success of several experiences in the recent period, most notably Aroma, the largest post-production services company in Egypt, which opened a regional branch in Riyadh and acquires most of the shares. Production tasks and graphic work in Egypt, and includes dozens of workers and technicians. Therefore, the risk of its complete transfer to Saudi Arabia constitutes a major threat to the production movement in Egypt, and it may encourage other production companies to imitate it.
These concerns come at a time when a number of filmmakers are considering taking the same step, to facilitate production procedures in Saudi Arabia, and to benefit from the support provided by the Kingdom, to encourage the task of establishing companies or filming inside Saudi Arabia.
Thus, artist Mohamed Heneidy announced his intention to film his next film entirely in Saudi Arabia for the first time. And the music industry is not far from these developments, as it was at the forefront of the fields that witnessed a large migration of its members, especially among the musicians who moved to work in orchestras at concerts in Saudi Arabia, following the closure period due to the Corona pandemic.
Until now, the presence of Egyptian workers in Saudi Arabia remains temporary, and is linked to the works that are produced in the Kingdom. The musicians’ presence there is linked to concert seasons only, and some singers attend for long periods throughout the year due to successive concerts, such as Angham and Ahmed Saad, for example. The latter turned to producing his songs in Saudi Arabia for the first time as well, and took advantage of the support provided by the new “Marwas” studios in Riyadh to produce his new songs, becoming the first Egyptian singer to take this step.
The new Marwas Studio is also expected to play a major role in the emigration of Egyptian technicians and artists in the coming period if it succeeds in attracting them to record their work in the huge studio complex, especially with the Entertainment Authority hinting before that it requires recording songs in “Marwas” in exchange for allowing their owners to sing at concerts in Saudi Arabia. .
A number of Egyptian artists have recently expressed their desire to stay in Saudi Arabia explicitly, including actor Hassan Al-Raddad, and at that time received great criticism for these statements, but then returned to hold a special screening of his latest movie “At Gunpoint” in Riyadh and Dubai before it was shown in Egypt. , which is a precedent that also occurs for the first time, and clearly indicates the priorities of Egyptian art makers at the present time by giving Riyadh priority over Cairo in their promotional and production destinations.
The issue of the systematic and clear migration of artists to Saudi Arabia remains subject to productive developments in the Kingdom and Egypt in the coming period, in light of indications that may confirm its occurrence in the future, such as speculation regarding Saudi Arabia’s intention to grant artists golden residencies, or citizenship in return for staying in it and producing their works in it, especially following Opening the door to naturalization for artistic and technical competencies in the Kingdom, or the Shahid platform and the MBC group turning to producing and filming its Egyptian and Arab dramas in Saudi Arabia, instead of Egypt and Lebanon, and at that time the emigration of artists may be forced and not optional.
