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
According to Gower Street Analytics, the 2025 box office projections indicate global revenues reaching an 8% increase over 2024
Leading industry analytics firm Gower Street Analytics has released its latest forecast for the global cinema market, projecting box office revenues to reach $33 billion in 2025. Their forecast represents an encouraging 8% increase over 2024 estimates, signalling continued momentum in this entertainment sector.
The cinema industry demonstrated remarkable resilience, ultimately achieving approximately $30.5 billion in global revenues in 2024. This despite facing significant headwinds, primarily due to content pipeline disruptions stemming from the SAG-AFTRA strike. Initial forecasts had painted a concerning picture, with analysts predicting potential revenue declines of $5-8 billion and some even suggesting a possible regression to 2022 levels of $25.9 billion. However, the 2024 year-end numbers were far robust.
This impressive performance was largely driven by the strong reception of several major theatrical releases. The year gained momentum with the success of ‘Dune: Part Two,’ followed by a robust summer season featuring blockbusters such as ‘Inside Out 2,’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ and ‘It Ends With Us.’ The positive trajectory continued through year-end with anticipated releases including ‘Gladiator II,’ ‘Wicked,’ ‘Moana 2,’ and ‘Sonic 3.’
The Middle East market emerged as a particularly bright spot, successfully avoiding the content drought experienced in other international territories. This success can be attributed to the strong performance of regional Arabic-language productions such as ‘Lahazat Lazeeza,’ ‘El Hawa Sultan,’ and ‘Welad Rizk 3.’ The region further benefited from successful Asian cinema releases, including major Indian productions like ‘Pushpa: The Rule – Part 2’ and ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ ‘Manjummel Boys’ and more.
Looking ahead, the 2025 Gower Street Analytics’ detailed industry analysis reveals several key trends.
In the North American domestic market, projections indicate a 9% increase over 2024, with revenues expected to reach approximately $9.7 billion. This prediction was further validated by other film journalists such as Pamela McClintock, senior film writer at The Hollywood Reporter who predicted the North American domestic box office to reach $10 billion and more.
The international market, excluding China, is expected to generate approximately $16.8 billion, marking a 7% improvement over 2024 estimates.
The Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region continues to show promising recovery trends, with 2025 revenues projected at $9.1 billion. This forecast positions EMEA at 6% ahead of 2024, making it one of the fastest-recovering international markets in the global cinema landscape.
The projected global revenue of $33 billion would position the industry at just 14% below the average of the pre-pandemic years (2017-2019), when adjusted for historical currency rates.
Though actual performance will ultimately depend on various market factors, these projections from Gower Street Analytics provide valuable insights into the industry’s trajectory, and the strength of the upcoming theatrical slate. The data suggests a continuing and gradual return to pre-pandemic performance levels, with some regions showing particularly encouraging signs of recovery.
As the region’s leading cinema advertising company, Motivate Val Morgan’s internal analysis aligns with these positive industry projections. Avinash Udeshi, Chief Operating Officer of Motivate Val Morgan, shares this optimistic outlook: “We have achieved 33 million admissions across our cinema circuits in 2024 – measured through our cinema planning and reporting tools CinePlan and CineMeasure. According to the advanced analytics prediction from the system, we anticipate a 7% increase in cinema admissions in 2025.”
“This projection further reinforces the positive trajectory of the cinema industry in the region and underscores the growing opportunity for brands to engage with cinema audiences.” He added.
The 2025 theatrical calendar promises an exceptional slate of highly anticipated releases that could further boost these projections. From Hollywood blockbusters like ‘Superman, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’, and ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, to Asian and Arabic titles such as ‘Dev (Hindi)’, ‘L2 Empuraan (Malayalam)’, ‘Sikander (Hindi)’, ‘Restart (Arabic)’ and many more blockbusters lined up throughout the year. Experience the excitement of what’s coming to theaters in 2025 by watching our exclusive sizzle reel here for a sneak peek of these upcoming cinematic spectacles.
Sources: Gower Street Analytics, Motivate Val Morgan CinePlan and CineMeasure, Saudi Ministry of Culture
