Saudi Box Office Hits SAR920 Million as Local Films Double

Riyadh (GNP): The Saudi Film Commission has released the second edition of the Saudi Film Industry Yearbook, covering 2025. The report tracks the sector through more than 100 indicators across the whole value chain, from talent development and infrastructure to incentives, funding and the box office.

The commission says the yearbook is meant as a reference for filmmakers, investors and researchers. Its chief executive, Abdullah Al-Qahtani, described it as an extension of the commission’s commitment to transparency and open data as the base for industry growth.

The headline finding is the performance of local productions. Revenues of Saudi films doubled from 56.48 million Saudi riyals (SAR) in 2024 to SAR122.61 million in 2025. As a result, their share of the market rose from 7 per cent to more than 13 per cent.

That growth sits within a larger market. Total box office revenues reached SAR920.81 million from 18.77 million tickets sold, which keeps Saudi Arabia at the top of cinema markets in the Middle East and North Africa.

Production spending shows where the money came from. Projects backed by incentive and funding programmes accounted for around SAR291.47 million across 52 projects in 2025. The number of production companies operating in the country rose to 179, up from 65 the year before, and total available studio space reached about 118,000 square meters.

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Skills and heritage also feature in the report. More than 6,800 trainees took part in film training programmes during the year, while the National Film Archive now holds more than 83,000 preserved items.

The commission also grew its international profile. It took part in 18 international film festivals and events and signed a strategic partnership with the Korean Film Council. Saudi films won more than 17 local and international awards, 12 of them for films supported by the commission’s incentive programme.

One title stands out among them. “Hijra”, directed by Shahad Ameen, won five awards, most notably the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) Award at the Venice International Film Festival. The film also represented Saudi Arabia in the race for the 2026 Academy Awards. The full yearbook is available on the commission’s website.

Abdullah Al-Qahtani said, “The data shows the industry moving from an establishment phase to sustainable growth.”