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  • Arab cinema

The Saudi Film Festival saudi film festival

Saudi Film Festival 2025 focuses on the cinema of identity

Featuring a production market, workshops, discussions, and international collaborations, this year's festival shows that the event has evolved into a space that shapes films before they are made.

Noor Hisham Alsaif 17 April 2025

Saudi film 'Rouge' shows the pressure women face to look young

Al Majalla speaks to Saudi film director Samaher Mously on her debut short film that uses dark humour to explore the tyranny of beauty as perpetuated by the global cosmetics industry

Asmahan Al-Sha’abouni 10 February 2025
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Welad Rizk 3: Saudi cinema’s new use of characters and techniques

A visionary film, and the state-of-the-art way in which it was shot, shows how modernised production is moving the country's movie-making up to global standards with a new genre: Arab action

Shadi Alaa Aldin 05 August 2024
Saudi film director Tawfik al-Zaidi

Saudi filmmaker Tawfik al-Zaidi gets candid in Cannes

'Norah' is the first Saudi film to be featured at the Cannes Film Festival. In an interview with Al Majalla, its director discusses the challenges he faced and how he feels about the landmark moment.

Firas Al-Madi 22 May 2024
The Saudi film industry had a blockbuster year but there is room for improvement. Lina Jaradat

Saudi cinema’s blockbuster year still leaves room for improvement

Filmmakers are being adventurous, and production quality is superb, but the tendency to over-indulge has lessened the impact of some Saudi films. Still, the future is bright.

Obaid al-Tamimi 16 April 2024
A still image from the film 'Four Daughters' Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

'Four Daughters' explores themes of femininity under the Islamic State

Film director Kaouther Ben Hania's innovative and unconventional docudrama is part-real, part-fiction. The Tunisian family it depicts is real, as is their pain, and it is scooping up many awards.

Ibrahim Haj Abdi 09 March 2024
This year, the festival selected three films produced by Ithra: Hajjan, Hadi Al-Ess (pictured), and the documentary Khaled Al-Sheikh: Between the Thorns of Art and Politics.

Ithra’s head of cinema: Saudi stories deserve to be told 

Majid Zuhair Samman says Ithra aims to help Saudi filmmakers tell authentic stories and support a new generation of creative storytellers

Abeer Younis 02 January 2024
CEO of Red Sea International Film Festival, Mohammed Al Turki speaks on stage during the Closing Night Gala Awards at the Red Sea International Film Festival on December 08, 2022 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Getty

Red Sea Film Festival kicks off with international and Saudi productions

The festival kicks off with the world premiere of the Saudi film "Inheritance", directed by Yasir Al-Yasiri, along with 35 other Saudi films.

Abdul Rahman Farouk 30 November 2023
Behind the scenes of Saudi film 'Hajjan', which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Saudi cinema shines at Toronto International Film Festival with three participating films

As three Saudi films participate in the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, Al Majalla talks to the directors about their ambitious productions, telling Saudi stories and global audiences.

Mohamed Jameel Ahmed 15 September 2023
A still from 'Night Courier'.

Night Courier: A dark character study about class divide and hustle culture

The Saudi film now screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, tells the anxiety-ridden story of Fahad, a delivery driver struggling to make ends meet. Al Majalla reviews the film.

Obaid al-Tamimi 15 September 2023
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An Iranian holds a picture of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei; Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, killed by an Israeli air strike on September 27, 2024; and Iran Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani, killed by the US in January 2020. ATTA KENARE / AFP
Politics

Israel sharpens its focus amid growing unrest in Iran

11 January 2026

Last year's 12-day war with Iran was ostensibly aimed at its nuclear programme. This time, the regime is significantly weakened, presenting an opportunity Israel may feel it can't miss.

Michael Horowitz
Al Majalla
Politics

The Donroe Doctrine and the new hemispheric order

12 January 2026

Pressure builds on Venezuela after Trump appoints himself 'acting president'. With Colombia, Mexico and Cuba seemingly also in the line of fire, they will be closely watching what happens in Caracas.

Stefanie Butendieck Hijerra
Government forces patrol the Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhood after taking control of the area, following the collapse of an agreement between the Syrian government and the SDF, in Aleppo, Syria, on 10 January 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
Politics

What next for Syria after tenuous Aleppo ceasefire?

10 January 2026

It remains unclear if Damascus's move to kick the Kurds out of Aleppo will pressure the SDF to implement the 10 March deal to integrate its forces into the Syrian army or harden its resolve to resist

Haid Haid
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan (L) gives a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty (R) at Tahrir Palace in the centre of Cairo on September 10, 2024. Khaled DESOUKI / AFP
Politics

Egypt steps up its balancing act amid Yemen rift

08 January 2026

The UAE backs southern Yemenis who want secession, while Saudi Arabia wants a unified Yemen. Egypt also favours unity, but is close to both Gulf states, putting it in a difficult position.

Amr Emam
Al Majalla
Documents & Memoirs

Putin foreshadowed the Ukraine war in 2008 meeting with Bush

06 January 2026

Recently declassified meeting minutes between the two leaders show how Washington was well aware of Moscow's grievances over NATO expansion, but went ahead anyway

Samer Elias

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OPINIONS

Trump throws peace to the wind

Fares Garabet
Fares Garabet

Trump’s war on CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood

Abdullah F. Alrebh
Abdullah F. Alrebh

Pressure mounts on Iran from all corners: will it survive?

Houssam Itani
Houssam Itani

Ansar al-Sunna has the markings of Iranian foul play

Alia Mansour
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