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Saudi Arts, Entertainment Sector Achieves 20% Growth in 2024

File photo of the Saudi capital Riyadh - File/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi capital Riyadh - File/AAWSAT
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Saudi Arts, Entertainment Sector Achieves 20% Growth in 2024

File photo of the Saudi capital Riyadh - File/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi capital Riyadh - File/AAWSAT

The Saudi Ministry of Commerce has revealed that commercial registers in the arts and entertainment sector grew by 20% during 2024 compared to 2023.
The ministry highlighted significant growth in several key sectors, in which innovative arts and entertainment activities saw a 30% increase, with a total of 4,188 registers. Amusement park activities recorded a 26% rise, bringing the total to 6,108 registers.
Registers for other entertainment activities grew by 25%, reaching a total of 14,239. Sports club activities saw an 18% increase, with the total number of registers rising to 8,095 by the end of 2024, SPA reported.
The arts and entertainment sector is a key pillar of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, playing a vital role in boosting the local economy, diversifying income sources, increasing the GDP, and creating opportunities for the private sector to offer experiences that enhance the quality of life for all members of society.

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Brian Tyree Henry Says 'Dope Thief' Role Felt Like 'Homecoming'

Actor Brian Tyree Henry attends the Los Angeles premiere of Amazon MGM Studios' ''The Fire Inside'' at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, December 4, 2024. REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci/File Photo
Actor Brian Tyree Henry attends the Los Angeles premiere of Amazon MGM Studios' ''The Fire Inside'' at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, December 4, 2024. REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci/File Photo
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Brian Tyree Henry Says 'Dope Thief' Role Felt Like 'Homecoming'

Actor Brian Tyree Henry attends the Los Angeles premiere of Amazon MGM Studios' ''The Fire Inside'' at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, December 4, 2024. REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci/File Photo
Actor Brian Tyree Henry attends the Los Angeles premiere of Amazon MGM Studios' ''The Fire Inside'' at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, December 4, 2024. REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci/File Photo

Brian Tyree Henry plays a thief fearing for his life while dealing with his painful past in gritty crime drama "Dope Thief", a role the US actor said felt like "a homecoming".

The eight-part mini-series stars Henry as Ray and "Narcos" actor Wagner Moura as Manny, two Philadelphia friends who pose as DEA agents to rob trap houses. But when they raid an unknown rural house, they unleash a dangerous set of events that sees them running from a cartel as well as the police.

“There was so much about (Ray) that resonated with me. I saw this man that was dealing with generational trauma, trying to find a way to make it, trying to find a way to actually be cared for," Henry, known for films such as "Transformers One", "Bullet Train" and "Causeway", for which he earned an Oscar nomination, told Reuters.

"He allowed me to lay down a lot of my burdens that I had been carrying ... it was definitely another transition for me ... to elevate myself and how to deal with my emotions and deal with my abandonment, deal with my fear and deal with all those different things.

"And so, Ray was actually the first time in a long time that I felt like I had come home. He felt like a homecoming in a way."

At the heart of "Dope Thief" is the long-running friendship between Ray and Manny and how they deal with their struggles.

"The show is violent. There's a lot of violence and crime and running and you've got this Black and Latino man, we've kind of seen this kind of show before," Henry said.

"But ... we wanted to show the tenderness between these two, the friendship."

"Dope Thief" is based on the 2009 novel by Dennis Tafoya, however the show drifts away from the book, series creator Peter Craig said.

"I liked that (Tafoya's) really got two novels in one. The second half is very internal, so I liked the idea of just using the first half and then having a lot of room for invention," he said.

"Dope Thief" premieres on Apple TV+ on Friday.