NEOM announced the official opening of NEOM Media Village and Jeddah Desert Studios, which contain the largest sound studios and film production support facilities in Saudi Arabia.
site said “The Hollywood ReporterThe “Neom Media” village is pushing Saudi Arabia a further step forward to become a major center for artistic and film production.
NEOM Media Village and Jeddah Desert Studios witnessed the operation of 3 audio studios in response to the demand from regional and international productions for distinctive film facilities. During the trial run during the past 18 months, they provided support for regarding 25 television and film productions, according to the newspaper. statement Officially issued by the city of Neom.
Work is also underway to prepare seven new high-tech audio studios to be ready in the first quarter of 2023.
NEOM Media Village currently houses a 2,400 square meter audio studio available for production with facilities including makeup rooms, green rooms and production offices.
Also, work is still underway to build 3 other studios, while the Jeddah Desert Studios currently include two dome-shaped acoustic studios with an area of 3,000 square meters, and they are already operational. Four new studios are also scheduled to be operational by the end of 2022.
Wayne Borg, director of media production, entertainment and culture at NEOM, said: NEOM “provides attractive incentives for film and media production in general with the aim of creating a vibrant media ecosystem.”
He added: “NEOM currently owns the first advanced audio studios in the Kingdom, supported by advanced infrastructure, skilled work teams with global expertise and a thriving business environment characterized by ease of doing business, which is an important step to become a leading regional center for the media production industry and provide a smooth production experience that confirms our capabilities and capabilities to support this industry. “.
The city of NEOM, which was first announced in 2017, is inspired by the atmosphere of science fiction films with flying taxis and working robots, but it raises questions among architects and economists regarding its feasibility.
The total value of the NEOM project is $500 billion and will be built on an area of 26,500 square kilometers and extend to the territories of Jordan and Egypt.
Saudi Arabia had announced that it would 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 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival and was published by the official Saudi Press Agency “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.” The Saudi Film Authority indicated that this “will make the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia a global destination for film production.”
He filmed 3 major Hollywood films in the Kingdom: “Kandahar”, which is filmed in the picturesque landscape of Al-Ula, in addition to “Desert Warrior” (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.
The production of the first local drama series is scheduled to begin in Neom during the month of September.
