LONDON: With Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 less than 10 years away, the Kingdom is set to invest $64 billion in its entertainment industry as part of its campaign to diversify the economy and reduce its reliance on oil.
As the Kingdom’s desert has proved attractive to Hollywood, various movies are currently under production or are being considered for shooting in Saudi Arabia.
“‘Desert Warrior,” a new film starring Marvel Cinematic Universe actor Anthony Mackie, is currently being filmed entirely in Saudi Arabia, while Scottish actor Gerard Butler’s latest thriller, “Kandahar” is starting initial photography in the AlUla region this month.
Kandahar is co-financed by the Saudi-owned MBC group and is set to feature Gerard Butler as an undercover CIA agent working in Afghanistan.
Alongside its push in the entertainment industry, Saudi Arabia is launching its first international film festival, the Red Sea Festival, chaired by Saudi producer Mohammed Al-Turki and due to launch in December in Jeddah.
As part of this push, the head of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority said that 5,000 events were planned this year alone, including those by Maroon 5 and Cirque du Soleil.
Additionally, a large entertainment city near Riyadh is already planned as the country aims to boost its tourism sector.
