Film AlUla Expands Visual Production in the Region

The Royal Commission for Saudi Arabia’s AlUla Province is actively seeking to attract major global production companies to film in its territories.

This effort is being carried out through the agency of Film AlUla, established in 2020, which has been entrusted with the task of promoting local, regional, and international film and television productions in the region, as well as providing support.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Executive Director of Film AlUla Charlene Deleon-Jones emphasized that the goal is to establish a significant gateway and destination in AlUla for talented and ambitious filmmakers and producers.

Furthermore, there are plans underway to soon open a state-of-the-art production facility that offers comprehensive services, including a 30,000 square foot filming location.

Deleon-Jones pointed out that the agency has so far hosted 694 days of production for a number of films.

Among them are the action film “Kandahar,” starring Gerard Butler, and the drama film “Karaz,” directed by the Russo brothers and featuring Tom Holland.

Additionally, there is “Nora,” a film by Saudi director Tawfiq Al Zaidi, which is the first Saudi narrative film shot in the province with a team of Saudi actors, with over 40% of the crew being local talents from the kingdom.

Regarding television productions filmed in AlUla, they include the British series “Expedition” featuring Steve Backshall, as well as National Geographic documentaries.

Additionally, commercial advertisements, promotional presentations, photo shoots, and short films have also been produced in the region.

Deleon-Jones further added that work is underway on more international productions, including significant films from Hollywood, Bollywood, and South Korea, which will be announced within the next two months.

Regarding Film AlUla’s strategy to attract filmmakers to the region, the executive director affirmed that the agency continues to work on developing an attractive and supportive environment for film production, backed by strong infrastructure, high-quality services, and other encouraging factors.

Deleon-Jones also noted that the film industry is an investment and commitment, so the agency strives to give all diverse stories and narratives a fair chance to come to fruition in AlUla.

Furthermore, she revealed that the agency offers a 40% cash rebate as an incentive for all types of productions in AlUla, along with providing comprehensive logistical support.

Deleon-Jones mentioned that production works that employ talents and workforce from Saudi Arabia, showcasing the culture, history, and natural beauty of AlUla can also benefit from in-kind incentives, as well as financial support by covering travel and accommodation expenses.

Regarding logistics, Deleon-Jones confirmed that Film AlUla has a team of experts on the ground who can be contacted at any time to support production operations.

The team provides assistance in identifying and resolving issues, from the pre-production stage to delivery.

They also help with obtaining the cash rebate, as well as handling other administrative tasks such as production regulations, customs clearance, visa applications, filming permits, location selection, and talent recruitment.

Deleon-Jones touched upon infrastructure and revealed the nearing completion of the first phase of constructing a state-of-the-art production facility that offers comprehensive services.

This facility includes a 30,000 square foot soundstage equipped with advanced audio equipment, an outdoor filming location, production support buildings, workshops, warehouses, a recording studio, training and rehearsal spaces, a cafeteria, event space, and an administrative building.

The filming area will be located just 14 minutes away from the accommodation buildings of Film AlUla, with a dedicated team of professionals.

Accommodation options include 300 high-quality residential units and fully furnished living spaces, with private office areas for short and long-term stays specifically designed for film productions.

Additionally, there will be a selection of upscale hotels and mid-range accommodation options available.

Air pollution caused by fires is linked to more than 1.5 million deaths a year worldwide, the vast majority occurring in developing countries, a major new study said on Thursday.
This death toll is expected to rise in the coming years as climate change makes wildfires more frequent and intense, according to the study in The Lancet journal.
The international team of researchers looked at existing data on "landscape fires", which include both wildfires that rage through nature and planned fires such as controlled burns on farming land.
Around 450,000 deaths a year from heart disease were linked to fire-related air pollution between 2000 and 2019, the researchers said.
A further 220,000 deaths from respiratory disease were attributed to the smoke and particulates spewed into the air by fire, AFP said.
From all causes around the world, a total of 1.53 million annual deaths were associated with air pollution from landscape fires, according to the study.
More than 90 percent of these deaths were in low and middle-income countries, it added, with nearly 40 percent in sub-Saharan Africa alone.
The countries with the highest death tolls were China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Indonesia, and Nigeria.
A record amount of illegal burning of farm fields in northern India has been partly blamed for noxious smog that has recently been choking the capital New Delhi.
The authors of the Lancet study called for "urgent action" to address the huge death toll from landscape fires.
The disparity between rich and poor nations further highlights "climate injustice", in which those who have contributed the least to global warming suffer from it the most, they added.
Some of the ways people can avoid smoke from fires -- such as moving away from the area, using air purifiers and masks, or staying indoors -- are not available to people in poorer countries, the researchers pointed out.
So they called for more financial and technological support for people in the hardest-hit countries.
The study was released a week after UN climate talks where delegates agreed to a boost in climate funding that developing countries slammed as insufficient.
It also came after Ecuador declared a national emergency over forest fires that have razed more than 10,000 hectares in the country's south.
The world has also been battered by hurricanes, droughts, floods and other extreme weather events during what is expected to be the hottest year in recorded history.

Film AlUla Expands Visual Production in the Region