LONDON: Arab News gave a select audience in London a private screening of its latest documentary, “Abu Hilalain: Inside the Kingdom’s Crackdown on Captagon,” a deep dive into Saudi Arabia’s battle against the drug that has fueled Syria’s war and is threatening lives across the Kingdom and the region.
The Arab News-produced documentary was shown at the British Film Institute on Stephen Street, Central London, with the London-based Council for Arab-British Understanding as its screening partner. It was followed by an expert panel discussion featuring journalists who worked on the film, on the occasion of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
The event was attended by a number of current and former diplomats, experts on regional affairs and drug abuse, communications executives and film critics.
Addressing the audience, Faisal J. Abbas, editor in chief of Arab News, said the film was an attempt to shed light on the illicit trade that is impacting lives not just in Saudi Arabia but around the world.
“Timing-wise, we wanted it to coincide with both the ongoing campaign in Saudi Arabia against Captagon and the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking to maximize awareness, as we believe the media plays a vital role in this fight,” he added.
Chris Doyle, director of the CAABU, said that “this documentary is part of a valuable process in shining a light on one of the Middle East’s most notorious industries, the Captagon trade. This is many times larger even than the drugs market in Mexico.”
Doyle said the documentary “will have a huge social impact across the region,” as it shows how Captagon “sustains” Bashar Assad’s regime, which “shows no sign of changing its behavior.”
The documentary highlights Saudi Arabia’s efforts to combat the spread of Captagon. Based on the 14-month-long investigation into the narcotic for a deep dive published by Arab News’ Research and Studies Unit in February 2023, the film provides an in-depth and gripping exploration of the drug’s impact on society.
For over a year, Arab News traveled across three countries to uncover the dark underworld of Captagon trafficking to offer a glimpse not only of the networks that perpetuate its distribution but mainly of the victims of its use.
The film is now available online on the Arab News website and will receive a public screening on July 10 at the Frontline Club, London’s renowned club for journalists and media practitioners. Tickets are on sale as of today at: Eventbrite/Screening-Abu-Hilalain
