Saudi Films Capture 23% of Local Box Office, Driving Sector Growth Local content has become the primary engine for growth in Saudi Arabia's booming cinema industry, with Saudi films capturing an impressive 23% of the total box office year-to-date in 2025. This marks a dramatic increase from the 8% market share local films held last year. Speaking at the Saudi Film Confex, Adon Quinn, CEO of exhibitor Muvi Cinemas, emphasized that this growth is even more remarkable considering local films represent only 4% of the total titles released. "The growth of this industry is going to be local," Quinn stated, highlighting that supporting domestic content is the key to expanding the entire cinema ecosystem. The success is being led by major local hits. The comedy "Shabab Al-Bomb 2" is the highest-grossing local film to date, earning $7.3m (SAR 27.2m). It stands as the second-highest-grossing film of the year overall, surpassed only by Lilo & Stitch ($8.5m). Other strong local performers include "Hobal" ($6.5m) and "Es’af" ($4.9m). According to the Saudi Film Commission (SFC), the Kingdom's cinema sector generated $119.5m (SAR 448.1m) in the first half of 2025 from 9.1 million tickets sold. Quinn noted a critical trend: "We see such a high increase in first-time customers. Saudi films tell stories which resonate with people and brings them to the cinema for the first time. That’s where habits will be developed." To support this domestic surge, Muvi Cinemas—which also operates distribution and financing arms—plans to add 60 new screens next year. Quinn believes this expansion will "enable more returns for filmmakers to be able to make better quality, bigger budgets and more films."
