2024 Apr 25 12:21:25
Prabas Desk: The desert country of Middle East, Saudi Arabia has been recognized as the fastest growing country in the movie exhibition industry.
The government of the country approved the opening of the theater in April 2018. From that time to last March, the country’s movie theaters took in $98.6 million, or nearly $1 billion, contributing significantly to non-oil economic activity.
Arab News reported that more than 60 million tickets were sold in Saudi cinemas during this time. Of the 1,971 films screened in Saudi Arabia over the past six years, 45 were local productions.
This growth reflects the country’s increasing presence in the film arena and the fast adoption of cultural activities.
Hana Al-Omair, president of the Saudi Cinema Association, said of the country’s fast-growing industry, “19 of the movies released last year were local productions, indicating a positive situation for the industry.”
Saudi films have been selected for the Cannes International Film Festival which started in France recently. According to the ‘Saudi Vision 2030’, the entertainment industry’s contribution to GDP has been targeted at $2,300 billion or more than 3 percent.
It is predicted that more than one lakh jobs will be created in this sector by 2030. Currently, there are 66 cinema halls in Saudi Arabia with about 618 screens and 62 thousand 373 seats. Six companies operate these theaters in 22 cities across the country.
ShareNews, 25 April 2024
