Egyptian box office set to surpass pre-Covid levels in 2025

The Egyptian market is projected to close 2025 with over $37m (EGP1.8bn) in box-office revenues, surpassing pre-Covid levels and recovering significantly faster than global averages.

Ticket sales are expected to reach 14.3 million admissions, bringing the market back to its 2019 levels.

The figures were published by Cairo Industry Days, the industry arm of the Cairo International Film Festival, in an in-depth study of Egypt’s cinema market.

The study features key insights from the sector’s performance over the past five years, taking into account inflation and fluctuations in the US dollar exchange rate.

Researcher Mohammad Hussain, a former head of content at Mad Solutions, collected raw box-office data from various industry sources, which were cross-referenced with official statistics.

The country remains a challenge to source accurate film industry statistics, says Hussain, due to delayed official data and the need to reconcile multiple sources to reflect the true market situation.

Local hits

In a year marked by shifting audience tastes and a new generation taking the lead, Egypt’s 2025 box office has witnessed the unexpected rise of mid-budget, star-driven comedies, spearheaded by the breakout hit Siko Siko. The film grossed $3.7m, outperforming several big-budget commercial releases.

Siko Siko marks the feature debut of Omar El Mohandes, starring Screen 2024’s Arab Star of Tomorrow, Essam Omar, alongside the rising comedian Taha Desouky. The film was produced by Egyptian companies Film Square Productions, Reflect-Production, and United Studios.

Eight out of the top 10 releases so far in 2025 are Egyptian films (see chart below). Brad Pitt-starrer F1 is the highest ranking international release, coming in in eighth place in the chart with a $1.2m box office.

In a milestone for arthouse cinema, Khaled Mansour’s feature debut, Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo – which premiered in Venice’s Horizons section - has become the highest-grossing arthouse release in Egyptian history, earning $341,000. This success indicates the gradual expansion of a cinephile audience in Egypt.

2025 has also been significant for Egyptian cinema on the international stage. Happy Birthday by Sara Gouhar premiered at Tribeca, winning three awards and being selected as Egypt’s official submission for the Oscars. Aisha Can’t Fly by Morad Mostafa premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard. Meanwhile, My Father’s Scent by Mohamed Siam screened at the Warsaw Film Festival, and The Settlement by Mohamed Rashad premiered in the Perspectives section at the Berlinale.

Saudi success

The study shows that Saudi Arabia has emerged as the primary driver of international revenues for Egyptian films, surpassing the UAE and other Gulf territories. In 2024, 33 Egyptian films were screened in Saudi Arabia, collectively earning $53m, more than double their domestic box-office takings.

Among the top 65 films in Saudi box-office history, 18 are Egyptian, including several mid-budget comedies. This shift has transformed production strategies, co-financing models, and contributed to the rise of Egypt-Saudi co-productions, exemplified by titles such as Sons of Rizk 3 by Tarek Alarian and Flight 404 by Hani Khalifa.

After years of stagnation, Egypt’s exhibition infrastructure is experiencing its first significant expansion since 2019, now operating around 400 to 420 screens. Modern multiplexes in New Cairo, the North Coast, and other urban developments are replacing older single-screen cinemas, catering to a digitally connected youth audience. Average ticket prices have risen to more than $2.95 (EGP140), driven by inflation, increased utility costs, and high seasonal demand.

Top distributors

Misr International Films (MIF) has reclaimed its spot at the top of the distributor chart for the first time since 2019, releasing films such as Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo by Khaled Mansour, Snow White by Taghrid Abouelhassan, and The Tale of Daye’s Family by Karim Elshenawy.

United Motion Pictures benefited from strong Hollywood releases including F1, Sinners, Weapons, and Superman.

Synergy Films previously dominated the market. Its releases this year include Project X by Peter Mimi, which holds the second position in the Top 10 films in Egypt’s box office. Meanwhile, Zawya continues to solidify its arthouse presence with curated independent releases.

Cairo Film Connection

Another part of the study explores the history of the Cairo Film Connection (CFC) since its inception in 2010 under the leadership of filmmaker and producer Marianne Khoury.

The research was conducted by researcher, journalist, and translator Mohamed Awad.

“153 projects have participated in the platform’s 10 editions, but only 56 were fully produced,” said Awad. “Some projects were not completed for various reasons, and as part of this study, we monitored all the projects to understand their outcomes and challenges.”

Egypt accounted for the largest share of participation with 75 projects, followed by Lebanon with 14, Tunisia with 13, and Iraq, Palestine, and Jordan with nine each. The CFC has supported projects that have gone on to reach some of the most prestigious international festivals, such as Four Daughters (2023) by Kaouther Ben Hania from Tunisia, Inshallah A Boy (2023) by Amjad Al Rasheed from Jordan, which premiered at Cannes, In the Last Days of the City (2016) by Tamer El Said winner of the Caligari Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival, and Aïcha (2024) by Mehdi Barsaoui from Morocco, which premiered at Venice.

Over its ten editions, the Cairo Film Connection has awarded 138 financial and in-kind awards with a combined value exceeding $1.3m. A total of 87 projects received these awards, representing 57% of all participating projects.

Top 10 films in Egypt in 2025 to date: 

1. Siko Siko (Egypt) Comedy – $3.7m
2. Project X (Egypt) – Action/Adventure – $2.8m
3. El Shater (Egypt) – Action – $2.2m
4. Restart (Egypt) – Comedy – $1.8m
5. El Dashash (Egypt) – Action – $1.5m
6. Ahmed and Ahmed (Egypt) – Comedy – $1.3m
7. Rocky El Ghalaba (Egypt)– Comedy – $1.22m
8. F1 (US) – Action/Sport – $1.2m
9. Darwish (Egypt) – Action/Comedy – $1.18m
10. The Conjuring: Last Rites (US) – Horror – $800k.