How will Egypt be affected by the coming of cinema to Saudi Arabia?

The launching of the first cinematic show in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after more than a 35-year-gap, opens a new and important door to the Egyptian and Arab cinema industry.

This step, which some considered necessary, should create for the Egyptian film in the coming period, an important new market.

Critic Tariq Al-Shennawi confirmed to Al Arabiya that the return of cinemas in Saudi Arabia will have a positive impact on the level of productions in Arab cinema, in addition to the positive impact on the level of drama after Saudi TV announced featuring dramatic series.

Al-Shennawi pointed out that the country that will benefit from this step is Egypt, because the Saudi public taste favors Egyptian productions and also due to the presence of a large Egyptian community in the Kingdom.

Al-Shennawi believes that it will go beyond the idea of distributing the Egyptian film within the Saudi market, where the impact will reach the depth of the industry and where there will be a Saudi productive partnership in the business as well as a strong presence of Saudi artists.

Al-Shennawi revealed that the Saudi partnership has been in place for some time, and there was no announcement about it, which will happen in the coming period, after the decisions that were implemented.

Egyptian director Daoud Abdel-Sayed told Al Arabiya that this step is necessary regardless of anything else, especially since he does not imagine that there is a society at the present time without cinemas.

The film director said that the Saudi move will grant Egyptian cinema a new market for the purchase and the distribution of films.

The Egyptian director revealed the necessity of conducting a study of the quality of the audience and what works they want to view, especially since there is a new generation in the kingdom.

“Will it accept Egyptian films? Or will the trend be in favor of American films?” He noted.

However, he believes that the presence of a Saudi market for Egyptian films will definitely enrich the industry.