RIYADH — Revenues from ticket sales in Saudi cinemas amounted to SR421.8 million ($112.4 million) during the first half of 2024, amid reduced ticket prices and government incentives to boost activity. According to a statement issued by the Saudi Film Commission, about 8.5 million cinema tickets were sold during the period. This comes as Saudi Arabia works to increase the number of cinemas and reduce ticket prices, through a package of incentives announced last April. The six companies that operate cinemas in Saudi Arabia have reduced ticket prices as the sector has developed, with ticket prices currently ranging between SR50 and SR55 (about $14), down from about SR85. Despite this reduction, ticket prices are still higher than their counterparts in other Gulf countries, which range between $9 in Oman and $12 in Qatar. According to the Saudi Film Commission, "Saudi Arabia has maintained the first place in the Middle East since 2020 in accruing the highest annual revenue." Saudi Arabia is looking to exceed $1 billion in annual box office revenues, increase local production to 70 films per year, and increase the number of cinemas to 350, including 2,500 cinema screens, by 2030, when the industry is expected to contribute about $24 billion to the economy and add more than 30,000 permanent jobs. As for Saudi films, cinemas witnessed the screening of 11 Saudi films in the first half of the year, the most prominent of them being "Mandoob," which achieved the highest revenues of about SR29 million, "Hojan," "Yesterday After Tomorrow," "Hagan," "To My Son," and "Ben al Remal." June, which marked the end of the school year and the beginning of the summer season, was the best-selling month for cinemas, achieving a revenue of about SR141 million, according to a statement issued by the Commission. As for international films, "Bad Boys: Ride or Die," starring Will Smith, topped the list of highest-grossing films at the Saudi box office, earning SR66.8 million ($17.8 million).
