AlUla Hosts Creative Boot Camp to Develop Saudi Cinematic Talents

The program is designed to prepare and train Saudi talents at the hands of a group of professional expertise (Film AlUla)
The program is designed to prepare and train Saudi talents at the hands of a group of professional expertise (Film AlUla)
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AlUla Hosts Creative Boot Camp to Develop Saudi Cinematic Talents

The program is designed to prepare and train Saudi talents at the hands of a group of professional expertise (Film AlUla)
The program is designed to prepare and train Saudi talents at the hands of a group of professional expertise (Film AlUla)

Saudi Arabia’s AlUla is preparing to host a creative boot camp to train a generation of cinematic talents, empower them with knowledge and practical experiences, and develop the film industry in the Kingdom.

This comes as part of AlUla’s endeavor to promote its transformation to a new cinematic destination, after it opened its doors to local and international productions in 2020.

Film AlUla, the Royal Commission for AlUla’s film agency, has partnered with the UK’s industry-led Creative Media Skills Institute to host a 10-day hands-on boot camp led by award-winning film professionals who will head to AlUla in north-west Saudi Arabia to pass on their invaluable knowledge and expertise to a new generation of local filmmakers.

The two organizations have teamed up to give 25 local trainees from AlUla the opportunity to pave their way into the world of cinema.

The training program, which will be held in AlUla, Saudi Arabia’s northwestern region, will prepare talents for employment in production, assistant directing, and the art, locations, costume, make-up and hair departments.

Aspiring talented and committed creatives will have the unique opportunity of developing new skills to build a career in the film industry from top screen professionals from the Creative Media Skills Institute which is based in the heart of the world-famous Pinewood Studios in the UK.

Charlene Jones, Executive Director at Film AlUla, has affirmed that Saudi Arabia’s film industry is beginning to flourish, and developing local film professionals is crucial to the success of building film production in AlUla.
The Kingdom, according to Jones, is home to a large pool of creative and technical talent.

Jones also noted that the Creative Media Skills Institute has a team of highly experienced screen industry professionals that will be sharing their expertise with a new generation of a young film crew to help them break into the industry and ensure they are set ready for more Film and TV production coming to the region.  



‘Mediterranean Blue Diamond’ Could Fetch $20 Million at Auction 

A Sotheby’s staff holds "The Mediterranean Blue", a fancy vivid blue diamond weighing 10.03 carats estimated to reach 20 million Swiss francs during an auction preview in Geneva, Switzerland, May 8, 2025. (Reuters)
A Sotheby’s staff holds "The Mediterranean Blue", a fancy vivid blue diamond weighing 10.03 carats estimated to reach 20 million Swiss francs during an auction preview in Geneva, Switzerland, May 8, 2025. (Reuters)
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‘Mediterranean Blue Diamond’ Could Fetch $20 Million at Auction 

A Sotheby’s staff holds "The Mediterranean Blue", a fancy vivid blue diamond weighing 10.03 carats estimated to reach 20 million Swiss francs during an auction preview in Geneva, Switzerland, May 8, 2025. (Reuters)
A Sotheby’s staff holds "The Mediterranean Blue", a fancy vivid blue diamond weighing 10.03 carats estimated to reach 20 million Swiss francs during an auction preview in Geneva, Switzerland, May 8, 2025. (Reuters)

A 10-carat blue diamond which could fetch $20 million when it goes under the hammer later this month was presented by auction house Sotheby's in Geneva on Thursday.

The cushion-shaped piece, known as the "Mediterranean Blue Diamond," was mined in South Africa and displayed a rare color that qualified as fancy vivid blue, Sotheby's said.

"The market for coloured diamonds continues to go from strength to strength," said Jessica Wyndham of Sotheby's, added that she expected a price in the region of $20 million.

In 2016, another vivid blue diamond sold for 56.8 million Swiss francs ($68.7 million) at a Christie's auction in Geneva.

Sotheby's high jewellery collection, which includes other coloured gemstones, was presented to journalists in Geneva ahead of a live auction scheduled for May 13 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.