Saudi Arabia in 2021 continued its exponential growth as a theatrical box office market with revenue totaling $238 million for the year, a 95% increase compared with 2020 when the total intake had been $122 million, according to figures provided by Comscore.
Just four years after removal of the kingdom’s 35-year-old religion-related ban on movie theaters, Saudi has now consolidated its status — attained in 2020 — as the West Asia region’s top theatrical market in terms of gross box office. Once again it bested the United Arab Emirates where total 2021 grosses amounted to $130 million.
All told, 340 new feature films were released into Saudi Arabian cinemas in 2021, up from 222 in 2020. The top-grossing 2021 title was Egyptian comedy “Waafet Reggaala” (“A Stand Worthy of Men”), which pulled over $15 million, making the Arabic-language “Hangover”-style pic the country’s top grosser ever since moviegoing was re-instated in January 2018.
Just like in many other countries, in Saudi the top-grossing Hollywood...
Just four years after removal of the kingdom’s 35-year-old religion-related ban on movie theaters, Saudi has now consolidated its status — attained in 2020 — as the West Asia region’s top theatrical market in terms of gross box office. Once again it bested the United Arab Emirates where total 2021 grosses amounted to $130 million.
All told, 340 new feature films were released into Saudi Arabian cinemas in 2021, up from 222 in 2020. The top-grossing 2021 title was Egyptian comedy “Waafet Reggaala” (“A Stand Worthy of Men”), which pulled over $15 million, making the Arabic-language “Hangover”-style pic the country’s top grosser ever since moviegoing was re-instated in January 2018.
Just like in many other countries, in Saudi the top-grossing Hollywood...
- 1/11/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
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