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The Middle East is home to the world’s fastest-growing film industry and the Gulf region holds strong potential to advance in this sector. Powered by public and growing private sector investment, the region is producing innovative content, organizing international film festivals and drawing global filmmakers to produce feature films locally. The ongoing Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah highlights how the Gulf is fast emerging as a hub for cinema.

The Saudi model has been particularly successful. Six years since the Kingdom lifted a three-decade ban, the Saudi film industry has generated close to $1 billion in revenue. The Saudi film market is the fastest-growing in the region, with a 25 percent annual growth rate. The very idea of entertainment has evolved, as 17 million cinemagoers boost an industry that aims to create 2,000 screens across the Kingdom by 2030. The Kingdom recently launched the $100 million Saudi Film Fund to promote local content and opened the Al-Hisn Big Time Studios, spread over 10,500 sq. meters in Riyadh.

That the film industry provides a significant boost to the local economy is clear. A single movie has the potential to employ hundreds of people, given the myriad elements of filmmaking — from design and maintaining a set to acting and promotions. The sector has also provided avenues for Saudi collaboration with notable international platforms, such as Vox and Netflix. The entertainment industry overall can make a 4.2 percent contribution to the Saudi economy by 2030 through the creation of 450,000 jobs, according to the Ministry of Investment. Building high-quality film production infrastructure also opens the door for international producers looking to hire locations for their content, leading to additional foreign investment in the Kingdom.

At the same time, cinema is a catalyst for societal and cultural change. As the Kingdom moves from watching international feature films to also producing its own, it has found cinema to be a multifaceted avenue for recording history, discussing sociocultural issues and, perhaps most importantly, forming a strong national identity. For the young Gulf audience, a strong local film industry provides not only an outlet for creativity but also a sense of domestic self-sufficiency in the field of entertainment.

Cinema is a multifaceted avenue for recording history, discussing sociocultural issues and forming a strong national identity

Zaid M. Belbagi

A new nationalism is on the rise in ��������Ƶ and its neighbors, as the Gulf states are promoting socioeconomic transformation and creating new opportunities for the youth. As the state promotes this field, local creative professionals will find opportunities in their homeland.

Moreover, Gulf society, as any other, will relate the most to popular representations of its own history, culture and humor. Local cinematic productions are key for the Gulf youth to exhibit their own interpretations of modernity and encourage conversations around the same.

Reflecting on the potential to create cinema that is by Saudis and for Saudis, filmmaker Prince Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Faisal reflected: “At the moment, almost all Saudi films that come out are very similar in tone to each other. I personally as an audience member would like to see diversity in terms of the kinds of films that come out of Saudi. I’m seeing a lot of films about Saudi, but rarely am I seeing a Saudi film. It seems they want to cater to a global audience more than the local.”

However, the film industry’s potential is not limited to its economic and cultural contributions. Cinema as an influential tool for soft power is unmatched, as the success of the US’ Hollywood, India’s Bollywood and Nigeria’s Nollywood exemplify. As ��������Ƶ and the wider region reshape their foreign policy, local cinema will emerge as a key component of their soft power by projecting a favorable image in the international community. Investing in films allows these countries to increase the international audience’s familiarity with the region and thereby attract tourists. It is also crucial for the reformation of the traditional image of the region and enhancing cultural diplomacy.

The Saudi Ministry of Culture is keen to harness this potential and in 2020 it established the Film Commission for the advancement of the sector. The commission runs the Film Saudi Incentive Program to encourage Saudi and international production companies. It has also created the Filmmakers Program to promote film education and vocational training. Notably, the Ministry of Culture and the Film Commission have also joined hands to launch the Film Criticism Conference in Riyadh to create a culture of film critique.

As ��������Ƶ and the wider region reshape their foreign policy, local cinema will emerge as a key component of their soft power

Zaid M. Belbagi

The Gulf film industry is brimming with potential and similar success has been seen in other parts of the region too. The UAE claims 30 percent of the Middle Eastern cinema market share and Dubai is a particularly popular location for filming. While there is considerable public and private investment in the industry, the full potential of local Emirati content is yet to be unleashed. Similarly, while the Bahraini, Kuwaiti and Omani film industries are in a nascent stage, there is significant scope for further government investment in this sector to reap its economic and social benefits. For instance, Oman plans to invest more than $30 million in a Film City in Barka.

As the region sets out on this journey, it can benefit from the successes and challenges seen in established film industries in the Middle East and North Africa. Morocco has a strong culture of cinema, as exemplified by critically acclaimed local productions like “Ali Zaoua” and “Horses of God.” It is also a popular filming location for international feature films, such as the classics “Gladiator” and “Lawrence of Arabia.”

The Gulf is thus boldly carving out a place for itself in global cinema, offering the world a window into its culture. The impressive national visions launched by the Gulf states seek to transform not only their economies but their societies as well — and cinema is an important tool that can contribute to this change by encouraging local creative voices. To sustain this growth, governments in the region will need to maximize creative freedom, regulatory support and financing.

As an ever-growing number of tourists and expatriates head to the region, a well-established culture of cinema will provide them with a lifestyle in line with global standards. Crucially, the Gulf voice will expand the depth of global cinema and introduce the international audience to a fresh approach to storytelling.

• Zaid M. Belbagi is a political commentator and an adviser to private clients between London and the Gulf Cooperation Council. X: @Moulay_Zaid