Over the past five years, ticket sales grew from around 6m in 2020 to 17m by the end of 2024.
Saudi Film Commission CEO Abdullah Al-Qahtani has emphasised that the Saudi Film Confex was created in response to the remarkable momentum driving the Kingdom’s film industry, providing a vital platform that brings together filmmakers, policymakers, legislative bodies and training institutions to collectively address challenges and explore new opportunities.
Speaking to the Saudi Press Agency on the sidelines of the event, Al-Qahtani highlighted the exceptional transformation of the local box office market. He noted that since cinemas reopened in 2018, Saudi Arabia has sold around 9m tickets, generating nearly SAR 5bn in revenue. Over the past five years, ticket sales have surged from approximately 6m in 2020 to 17m by the end of 2024, while revenues have grown by 90%, from SAR 445m to SAR 845m.
Saudi films have also played an increasingly important role in this success, with their box office revenues surpassing SAR 120m—an exponential jump from SAR 13m in 2020. Al-Qahtani attributed this achievement to the confidence of investors and audiences alike, bolstered by Vision 2030 and the Film Commission’s initiatives to connect filmmakers with industry partners and investors.
This year’s edition of the Saudi Film Confex, held under the theme A Gathering That Transforms the Scene, marks the event’s largest and most dynamic iteration to date. It features 135 exhibitors from 35 countries, more than 60 expert speakers across the film value chain, and 50 interactive workshops.
Covering key industry topics such as intellectual property rights, artificial intelligence, distribution challenges, production, insurance and financing, the third edition of the Confex underscores Saudi Arabia’s growing leadership in shaping the film industry across the Middle East.
