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Saudi Arabia Allocates SAR 300 Million for Investments in Film Industry

The film sector in Saudi Arabia is witnessing an unprecedented stage of support and development. (The Cultural Development Fund)
The film sector in Saudi Arabia is witnessing an unprecedented stage of support and development. (The Cultural Development Fund)
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Saudi Arabia Allocates SAR 300 Million for Investments in Film Industry

The film sector in Saudi Arabia is witnessing an unprecedented stage of support and development. (The Cultural Development Fund)
The film sector in Saudi Arabia is witnessing an unprecedented stage of support and development. (The Cultural Development Fund)

The Saudi Cultural Development Fund (CDF) revealed a new investment program in the film sector at a value of 300 million Saudi riyals (about $80 million), and the launch of a global partnership with international institutions.

The Cultural Fund launched its new investment program on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival, which is being held in France, with the participation of various Saudi entities.

The CDF announced partnerships with MEFIC Capital and holding company ROAA Media Ventures to establish the Film Investment Fund, budgeted at $100 million.

The CDF will contribute 40% of the amount, through an investment program launched during the Cannes Festival, as part of the IGNITE government digital content program’s film sector financing initiative.

In this context, Mohammed bin Dayel, CEO of the CDF, said the new fund aims to invest in film sector companies and projects, and provide the necessary financing, build a network of entrepreneurs and distribution experts to support companies.

He added that the fund also seeks to collaborate with local and international investors and attract foreign expertise to turn the Kingdom into a major film-making center.

Bin Dayel stressed that the Saudi film industry was one of the fastest growing cultural sectors in the Kingdom, in light of the growing demand for cinematic content, which necessitates supporting visual content makers and companies.

The CDF plans through the investment track to achieve self-sustainability, and to build an effective and supportive film sector by 2030.

According to bin Dayel, the budget allocated to the Film Sector Financing Initiative is the highest among all artistic and cultural initiatives in Saudi Arabia.

He noted that the initiative is expected to contribute to developing creative talents and attracting foreign expertise, making the Kingdom a major center for the film industry in the region and the world.

In March, the Cultural Fund launched the lending program within the Film Sector Financing Initiative, which it designed to provide financing packages for small and medium-sized companies, as well as film production, distribution and infrastructure projects, as part of its efforts to support investment, enhance the profitability of the sector, and empower creators.

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Zoo in Spain Helps Elderly Elephants Age Gracefully

Two old African elephants Bully, left, and Susi, stand inside the Barcelona Zoo in Spain, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hernan Muñoz)
Two old African elephants Bully, left, and Susi, stand inside the Barcelona Zoo in Spain, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hernan Muñoz)
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Zoo in Spain Helps Elderly Elephants Age Gracefully

Two old African elephants Bully, left, and Susi, stand inside the Barcelona Zoo in Spain, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hernan Muñoz)
Two old African elephants Bully, left, and Susi, stand inside the Barcelona Zoo in Spain, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hernan Muñoz)

At the Barcelona Zoo, a 40-year-old African elephant places her foot through the metal barrier where a zookeeper gently scrubs its sole — the beloved pachyderm gets her “pedicure,” along with apple slices every day.
The treatment is part of the zoo’s specialized geriatric care for aging animals that cannot be reintroduced into the wild as zoos world over increasingly emphasize lifelong care, The Associated Press reported.
“Sending them back into nature would be an error," said Pilar Padilla, head of the zoo's mammal care. "It is very likely they wouldn’t survive.”
Zoos have undergone a rethink in recent decades with the emphasis on the conservation of species and education, moving away from the past paradigm that often displayed exotic animals as a spectacle.
The new approach includes knowing how to adapt to the needs of aging animals, which has led zoos to create bigger, more nature-like enclosures, such as the Sahel-Savannah area at the zoo in the Spanish city of Barcelona.
Along with breeding programs to reintroduce fit animals into nature, zoos today want to ensure that animals living longer due to advancements in veterinary care can age gracefully, said Martín Zordan, the CEO of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, or WAZA.
“Specialized geriatric care is becoming increasingly essential," Zordan told AP at the organization’s Barcelona offices.
Zordan said that just like older people, elderly animals require more care: regular health checks, arthritis treatment, softer foods or nutritional supplements, adapted living spaces and monitoring of mental and behavioral health.
Along with caring for a pair of aging elephants, the Barcelona Zoo is also the home for a 15-year-old wolf, a leopard and a tiger who are both 17, as well as some older birds — including a flock of senior flamencos.
It's not alone — several zoos in the United States, for example, highlight their treatment of older animals, such as the zoos in Baltimore and Baton Rouge.
A study of grief Zookeepers at the Barcelona Zoo, not far from the city’s Mediterranean coastline, are closely monitoring its two aging female pachyderms, Susi and Bully (pronounced BUH'-yi), as they cope with the recent death of Yoyo, their former pen-mate and long-time companion.
Yoyo died in December at age 54.
Susi, at 52, is now among the oldest known African elephants in captivity, even though WAZA said the age of animals born in the wild is approximate. Bully, who is 40, is also considered old for an African elephant. All three were captured in the wild and spent time in circuses an other zoos before coming to Barcelona.
The zoo is now working with the University of Barcelona to study the impact of Yoyo's death on Susi and Bully. It’s the first study of its kind, focused on elephants not from the same family after the death of a long-time companion, Padilla told The Associated Press during a recent visit to the zoo’s elephant enclosure.
At first, Susi and Bully showed their shock by not eating, but are now adapting well and turning to one another, including even sharing food, Padilla said, adding that Susi has taken on the dominant role that Yoyo had.
The proof is in the teeth For elephants, their teeth are the real age test.
“What marks the decline of the animal is the wear on their teeth,” Barcelona zookeeper José María Santamaría said after finishing the Bully’s pedicure. “They go through six sets of molars during their life, and when they reach around 40 years old they lose the last set.”
Susi and Bully require daily checkups, food suited for their now molar-less mouths and extra attention to their legs — hence the daily pedicures and the enclosure's soft sandy floor to cushion aching feet.
“Those are the sort of considerations taken because we care about these animals living comfortably and leading lives with dignity,” Zordan said.