January 17, 2025
The Saudi box office kicked off January 2025 with a stellar start, recording over 850,000 admissions in the first two weeks. This remarkable achievement underscores unprecedented growth in both attendance and revenue for the Saudi cinema industry—an integral part of the Kingdom’s 2030 Vision.
According to data from our proprietary cinema advertising platforms CinePlan and CineMeasure, Saudi box office admissions surged by 85.85% in January 2025 compared to the last two weeks of December 2024. Additionally, admissions in the second week of January rose by 30% over the first, showcasing the Kingdom’s robust theatrical momentum.
A significant contributor to this growth was the exceptional performance of two Arabic films. The first, the Egyptian feature El Hana El Ana Feeh, made a modest debut with SAR 2 million in December. However, the film displayed remarkable staying power, recording SAR 5.9 million in its second week, SAR 6.5 million in its third week, and SAR 4.7 million in its fourth week. By January 11, the Arabic comedy had accumulated SAR 19.3 million, setting new benchmarks for Arabic-language cinema in Saudi Arabia.
The second standout performer was the Saudi production Hubal. After earning SAR 1.5 million in its opening week, the film achieved substantial growth, collecting SAR 7.5 million in its second week (ending January 11) and reaching a total of SAR 9.1 million.
Looking forward, the future of cinema in the GCC region, particularly in Saudi Arabia, appears exceptionally promising. Statista projects the GCC box office market to reach SAR 1.88 billion (US$500.40 million) in 2025, with Saudi Arabia contributing SAR 1.13 billion (US$301.40 million)—approximately 60% of the region’s total revenue.
The Saudi cinema market is poised to sustain strong growth, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.48% from 2025 to 2029, reaching SAR 1.35 billion (US$359.10 million) by 2029. Market penetration is also expected to rise from 16.0% in 2025 to 17.5% by 2029.
The broader GCC cinema market is also set for significant expansion, with a projected CAGR of 4.56% during the same period, potentially reaching SAR 2.24 billion (US$598.00 million) by 2029. User participation across the GCC is expected to climb from 20.7% in 2025 to 22.4% by 2029.
These growth projections highlight the significant potential of the regional cinema market, even when compared to mature markets like the United States, where box office revenues are expected to hit US$11.5 billion (SAR 43.13 billion) in 2025.
Saudi Arabia’s outstanding December 2024 and January 2025 box office performance, combined with these optimistic forecasts, affirms the nation’s ongoing cinema renaissance. The growth is driven by local film production, increasing demand for diverse cinematic experiences, and sustained investment in cinema infrastructure.
Further data reveals that Saudi Arabia’s cinema sector demonstrates strong consumer spending, with average revenue per viewer projected to reach SAR 186.38 (US$49.70) in 2025—well above the GCC average of SAR 148.65 (US$39.64).
Source: Saudi Ministry of Culture, Statista, CinePlan and CineMeasure
Related Articles:
Saudi Box Office Achieves New Heights in November 2024
Saudi Box Office Hits 8.5M Ticket Sales as Global Box Office Surges to US$21B in 2024
