Saudi Arabia

AlUla itself has hosted a number of international productions and co-productions in the past year. Highlights include Turkish-Saudi feature film Siwar from award-winning Saudi director and producer Osama Alkhurayji and Stampede Ventures’ K-Pops, Anderson .Paak’s directorial debut which debuted at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

Locations Paak’s production used included Maraya, a vast mirrored building venue surrounded by sandstone cliffs; Cloud 7, a modern bungalow complex overlooking the striking mountains of AlUla; and the Banyan Tree Hotel, located in the desert and surrounded by dramatic rock formations and the cliffs of the Ashar Valley.

“AlUla is a beautiful location with natural production value and the region has great hotel accommodation for above-the-line talent,” said K-Pops! producer Grant Torre. “We loved the natural beauty of the location and how the locations fit into our main character’s journey in the film.”

Specific to AlUla, Torre added: “The unique challenge is how remote it is from Saudi Arabia’s major cities which force everyone to be much more prepared and specific during pre-production.”

Stampede Ventures teamed with local production company Yellow Camel to access Saudi’s incentive programme, which offers a lucrative 40% rebate to projects shooting in the country. They also assisted with permits and location scouting.

For K-Pops, Anderson and the team were on ground in AlUla for three days in May 2024, with a crew of 57 people. They also shot at Cloud 7, a modern bungalow complex overlooking the mountains; and the Banyan Tree Hotel, a desert sanctuary surrounded by rock formations and dramatic cliffs of Ashar Valley.

Of the 57 strong local crew working on K-Pops!, many were female talent, a development which Stampede CEO Gregg Silverman particularly welcomed. “We were thrilled to work with so many Saudi women on the crew to help train the next generation of filmmaking talent,” he told Screen International previously

Siwar filmed for 12 days with a crew of 67 people at Fadlah Village, Moghera area, AlUla’s renowned Prince Sultan School, as well as a range of streets, roads, and farms throughout AlUla.

AlUla’s new studio complex soundstages were fully completed by December 2024, with the creative hub, music recording studios, event space and canteen facilities set to be complete by the end of Q1 2025.

Kidnap thriller Fourth Wall starring Emma Roberts, produced by Greg Silverman’s US outfit Stampede Ventures, is set to be the first feature to shoot in the new AlUla Studios in Saudi Arabia. Fourth Wall is written by Jerry Kontogiorgis and is set to go into production in the first quarter of 2025.

This project is part of the four film partnership between US outfit Stampede Ventures and Film AlUla.

Indonesian religious feature Assalamualaikum Baitullah, directed by Hadrah Daeng Ratu for Visual Media Studio, is set to film on location in Mecca in the first quarter of 2025, with Saudi Arabia’s Tafrah Production handling the local shoot and Tony Ramesh producing.

Saudi Arabia's unique draws are its "vibrant youth culture, trendy personalities, modern architecture, and untouched natural landscapes that remain fresh and visually exciting," says Noor Dagher, managing partner of Tres Content. "But above all, it's the Kingdom’s rich and distinctive culture that sets it apart—something truly inimitable.

Deserts abound in Saudia Arabia, but the kingdom has a diverse landscape with vast doubling potential.  In the Northwest, home to AlUla, you can find mountains, aoses, and ancient cities like Hegra, a UNESCO world heritage site. In the Tabuk region, deserts are set against craggy mountains. There is 500 kilometres of untouched Red Sea coastline for sea vistas, as well as rugged towns.

"You can film just about anything all year long,  with access to gorgeous beaches, lavish hotels, desert, modern hubs," adds Film Pudding's Layal Moukahal.

Greenery is also available, with verdant mountain retreats and oases that house date palms, wild grasses and hyacinths.   

Architecturally, Saudi Arabia offers historical and ancient monuments, palatial villas and modern, urban buildings.

The country is arid, averaging approximately four inches of rain per year. However, Saudi Arabia has a variable climate depending on what region you are shooting in. In the desert during the summer, temperatures can rise to over 40C. In the north and central parts of Saudi Arabia, winter temperatures can drop below freezing.

Traditionally, Saudi Arabia has been slow in granting permits. Different permits may be required for shooting in cities, in the desert, in national parks and on public roads. But that is improving. 

Most of the permits, visas and access can be issued and solved in an online advanced digital form. But it is worth noting that photographing government buildings, military installations, oil facilities and palaces is prohibited.  If wishing to film in Saudi Arabia it is crucial to have proper local guidance and servicing.

Another key aspect of the Kingdom’s plans to grow its film industry is the training of local crew. Saudi Arabia is working to train home-grown crew through dedicated courses and placements on productions. While filming Desert Warrior, executive producer Eric Hedayat observed that two cycles of up to 50 local crew-in -training were supplied, many of whom continue to build a career in the growing local film industry. 

Film Pudding's Layal Moukahal says Saudi Arabia is "currently the biggest production hub in the region, where a lot of the artists and talents are based."

AlUla’s recently cinema complex, which was completed in December 2024, includes two 25,708 square foot soundstages, alongside a production building housing hair and makeup rooms, wardrobe facilities, offices, board rooms, and dressing rooms. 15,400 square foot workshops for each stage, RV parking areas, an administration building, a sound recording studio, a kitchen and events space, as well as a 61,500 square foot backlot for additional temporary infrastructure and set builds. 

Scheduled to open by end of Q1 2025 is a sound recording studio of 190 square metre, with a 47 square metre control room and two Iso booths with professional-grade equipment for film scoring, music production, and more.

Saudi Arabia spans around 2.1 million square kilometres and most of the Arabian Peninsula. This makes it roughly nine times larger than the UK, but with half the population. The key cities are widely spaced out — capital Riyadh and port city Jeddah lie just under 1,000 kilometres apart — but there is an extensive network of airports, including nine with international flights. There is also a modern train network, but with only three routes. The easiest way to get around within regions is by road.

Saudi Arabia is a 2.1 square kilometre area that covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula. As Torre says, the cities are widely spaced out meaning pre-production work is key for an efficient shoot. However, the country has a good network of airports with international flights. Getting between cities is easiest by road. The train network, though modern, has only three routes.