The Saudi cinema sector recorded a growth of 28% during Q2 2023.
Saudi Arabia’s cinema industry has earned SAR 535m ($142.6m) since the resumption of movie screenings in 2018, according to the General Commission for Audiovisual Media. So far, more than 10m tickets have been sold during this period.
The commission confirmed that the Saudi cinema sector is the largest in the region and is rapidly progressing towards achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. With more than 64,000 seats in 69 Saudi cinemas, operated by more than seven different companies across 20 cities, prominent names include Vox Cinemas and Muvi Cinemas.
Saudi films have significantly contributed to the sector’s growth, with more than 33 films screened to date. The highest-grossing film at the box office is the American action drama Top Gun: Maverick, which has sold more than 1.2m tickets and generated revenues exceeding SAR 84m ($22.29m).
Notably, the Saudi cinema sector experienced a substantial 28% growth during Q2 2023. The Ministry of Commerce’s recent business sector bulletin reported increased commercial activity in promising sectors within the Kingdom, including cinema, entertainment, and the arts. Specifically, the film production sector registered more than 1,700 commercial records, a significant increase from the approximately 1300 commercial records by the end of Q2 2022.
