In such a fast-growing industry, it is easy to forget that only six years ago, Saudi Arabia had no film industry. The country has only welcomed non-religious tourists since 2019, a year after the reopening of cinemas after nearly 40 years of ban on cinemas. There are now over 800 options. There is no doubt that the Saudi-born film Zaid Shaker, acting executive director of Alula, buzzed excitedly. Perhaps even more so since he started serving for 10 months in July. "All parts of all puzzles fall into the right place," Shaker said. Shaker leads the mission of film Alula to support film and television production in the kingdom's oldest UNESCO heritage.

"We have a lot of motivation. The (Saudi film) industry is booming," he continued. "What's going on in Alula is huge and I'm working with a fabulous team to make any job easy. So, yes, I'm still very excited."

The film Alula Studios opened last spring and has a 26,000-square-foot scale and a 61,500-square-foot background and serves as a government liaison to support licensing and kickbacks or incentive applications.

thr Catching up with Shaker to see how the facility has been used since its opening, other space has been added, and his ideas about the continued growth of Saudi film space.

Congratulations on working with MBS MENA Limited, which will be released this month. Has it attracted people's interest?

Absolutely. We have asked from studios and streamers eager to explore the facilities. We have strong momentum in the third quarter (third quarter) and fourth quarter, and have strong access to local, regional and international productions.

Can we share new products from filmmakers?

Our state-of-the-art facilities are ready: we are ready to receive the first movie. Looks good. We have exciting news and hope to share it soon. In our new facility, we have a cutting-edge recording studio that can accompany a complete band. We finished the production center, a creative space that can support filmmakers. We have an amazing activation space in the facility.

Can you share details about any new confirmed shots?

This year, we are waiting to announce the first full-length film production on the umbrella of the Stamped Arab Film (a deal from La Stampede Ventures run by Hollywood veteran Greg Silverman, which is very exciting. There are also several interesting talks.

Are there more companies to take advantage of the studio space or take advantage of the location, or both?

The same is both. They are complementary. We can accommodate parallel production: you can produce all, shoot everything on the ground while doing two separate high-end production shots in the studio. These UNESCO Heritage attractions have wonderful scenery and locations. But when the weather is really hot, people also need to be able to shoot indoors. So, this allows you to invite productions throughout the year.

Are any new initiatives introduced to accelerate the growth of skilled local labor?

Every initiative we do focuses on the local community: hone and improve skills. We always inspire training and have many programs with different partners, so we have such continuous workshops to be able to raise the standards and introduce sustainable film staff within the boundaries of Alula. This is certainly obvious in recent films such as Norah (2023) which is the first feature film to the premiere of the Cannes Film Festival in Saudi: 40% of its crew are locals. Along with Siwar, Osama Alkhurayji's recent film opened the Saudi Film Festival, with 80% of the crew being local and therefore double. Meanwhile, Alula Creation is a very advanced and detailed training capacity building program that produces three short films, some of which are screened at the Red Sea Film Festival.

Will there be a rough quota for the percentage of Saudi employees per project?

Although there are no fixed quotas, adopting Saudi nationals (especially in studio operations and support roles) is a key goal. Alula’s 65,000 population is full of vibrant people, aged under 30, representing incredible dynamic, emerging talent. We also focus on strengthening the local economy by sourcing goods from local artisans and advocating community-driven businesses.

What new environmental practices has Alula introduced?

Alura has many cultural significance. We are the guardians and custodians of our important UNESCO sites. For us, sustainability is a 360-degree approach to everything. Many of our incentives are awarded and produced in accordance with their sustainability measures, whether green or complying with best international practices. Plus, internally, we make sure all our teams attend every relevant workshop to keep up to date with every sustainable practice.

The following NoraCannes’ success, which other local Saudi films are causing noise around the world, or which movies do you predict?

Looking to the future, we have hijra Saudi film producer Shahad Ameen (sequel to 2019 scalesThis is the official submission of Saudi Arabia's Oscar in 2020. It should be released by the end of this year. Some scenes were shot in Arula, which proves the fact that we will never see any work as one (thing). I have to mention Alshlahei Hall (About the Bedouin family in the 1990s), although not filmed in Alula, it was a big step forward for the Saudi ecosystem. Saudi filmmakers are like jewellery on the crown to us because, in the end, one of the most important things we have to do is to export culture and enable these amazing storytellers.

The Saudi film industry has been shining since 2018. What is the focus now? Attract large buzzing international projects or foster more Saudi projects?

The answer is somewhat holistic. For me, the more I can appeal to international movies, the more I can introduce some kind of real-time training, shading programs to support local content. We have bandwidth to entertain both, so it's about focusing.

What are the achievements you are proud of for Alula so far?

I am proud of the resilience and durability of the team and how we can keep going. The studio has a very personal position in my mind. It's really heartwarming to see the opening of the Saudi Film Festival ridea film shot in Alura this year. I obviously do it too Nora. But for me, the studio - you have to see them trust them.

What does the Saudi film industry usually look like?

Now, in a country where there were no cinemas eight to nine years ago, the kingdom had more than 800 screens. Now you are talking about 42% of all the Middle East box office revenues from Saudi Arabia. I disturbed all my friends and family about this. Successful success Hall This year proves that Saudi audiences are very accepting, not only commercial cinemas, but also unique stories. No matter what happens in the North African region, it is within the heart of Saudi Arabia and we are lucky to be able to work in Alula, witness this and become a catalyst for what is happening. You will see it when you participate in amazing platforms such as the Red Sea Film Festival or the Saudi Film Festival. You see (the Saudi industry) full of this positive energy, this dialogue, (with) so many young people are trapped in the power of this film.