Saudi Arabia’s cinema scene is reaching new heights in 2024, with 8.5 million tickets sold in just the first half of the year

The box office raked in an impressive SAR 421.8 million ($112.4 million), with two Saudi films making it into the top three—a testament to the growing popularity of local productions. Prince Badr bin Abdullah, Minister of Culture, shared the news on social media, though he kept the names of the two standout films under wraps.

سوق صناعة السينما مزدهرة، حيث وصلت مبيعات شباك التذاكر السعودي إلى 8.5 مليون تذكرة بإيرادات تجاوزت 421.8 مليون ريال خلال النصف الأول من العام الحالي، وفيلمان سعوديان ضمن أعلى 3 أفلام مبيعاً. #رؤية_السعودية_2030

Saudi box office sales have reached 8.5 million tickets with… https://t.co/joTkWZOAm4

— بدر بن عبدالله بن فرحان آل سعود (@BadrFAlSaud) September 10, 2024

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Since lifting a 35-year ban on cinemas in 2018, Saudi Arabia’s film industry has seen remarkable growth

With 66 theaters now open across 22 cities, and box office sales in 2023 soaring to $919 million—a 25% increase from 2022—the appetite for movies in the Kingdom is stronger than ever.

Local films have driven these numbers massively!

While Hollywood blockbusters like “Oppenheimer” and “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning” have driven some of these numbers, local filmmakers are quickly gaining ground. Notable among them is Ali Kalthami’s “Mandoob” (“Night Courier”), a thrilling tale set in Riyadh about a man who becomes a night courier in a desperate bid to save his father. The film premiered at the Red Sea Film Festival and has since climbed to the top of the Saudi box office.

Another major success is “Sattar,” a family comedy about a man chasing his dream to become a freestyle wrestling champion. The film broke records last year, earning $2.2 million within its first 12 days and becoming the highest-grossing Saudi movie to date.

With strong local stories captivating audiences and more theaters opening across the country, the future of Saudi cinema looks brighter than ever

The continued rise of the local film industry is proving that Saudi filmmakers are here to stay, captivating audiences both at home and abroad.