Saudi film productions have enjoyed a strong year at the local box office, notching up over 14% share of cinema takings to date, according to new figures from box-office analyst Comscore.
Three Saudi features – heist caper Alzarfa: Escape From Hanhounia Hell, comedy sequel Shabab El Bomb 2 and drama Hobal – sit in the top 10 chart of all releases for the year to November 30.
Alzarfa is third with earnings of $8.2m (SAR30.6m), only behind Hollywood hits F1: The Movie on $10.4m (SAR39.1m) and Lilo & Stitch on $9.8m (SAR36.8m). Shabab El Bomb 2 ranks fourth with $7.4m (SAR27.7m). Hobal, which world premiered at Red Sea last year, is fifth with $6.6m (SAR24.6m).
Other strong performing Saudi titles include Essaf ($5m/SAR18.9m) and Siwar ($2.9m/SAR10.9m). Saudi features have collectively grossed $32.7m (SAR122.6m) in 2025 to date, equivalent to a 14.2% box-office share.
This compares favourably with more mature markets outside Hollywood, but is particularly impressive given that the Saudi industry is just a few years old.
Previous strong performers from the Kingdom include 2022 hit Sattar and 2023 thriller Mandoob but these were isolated cases.
“Audiences are embracing stories that speak directly to their experiences; producers and exhibitors are investing more. The result is a pipeline of homegrown films that can chart reliable run-rates,” said Nathan Gilligan, senior operations manager at box office specialist Comscore.
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