Saudi films pass SAR 100m at the box office again.

Saudi films have taken more than SAR 100m at Saudi cinemas so far in 2026, the second year running they have passed that mark, Arab News reported on 21 September, citing the Film Commission. By then they had about 12.7% of box-office revenue.

The commission's weekly box-office reports show the scale of the market. In the week of 13 to 19 September, cinemas took SAR 16m from 329,200 tickets across 59 films. In the latest week published, 11 to 17 October, they took SAR 16.5m from 334,400 tickets across 53 films, led by the Egyptian film Matloub Aeleyain, India's Jailer 2 and Verity.

Last year set a high bar. According to Arab News, the commission's 2025 box-office report counted SAR 122.6m from 11 Saudi films and 2.8 million tickets. In 2025 the mark was passed by July, when eight Saudi films held 19% of the box office, Okaz reported at the time, citing the commission's Instagram. So this year local films reached it about two months later and with a smaller share of takings. The Ministry of Culture's State of Culture report puts the whole 2025 market at a record 18.77 million tickets and about SAR 921m. The year-to-date figures for Saudi films come from the commission's social media posts as reported in the press; its box-office page publishes weekly totals and top-ten charts only.

For brands, local films remain a dependable draw, with a double-digit share of takings, but this year's slate is pulling in less than last year's. Product placement and partnerships around Saudi releases still reach large audiences, but they are agreed before release; the commission's weekly charts help with promotions around films already showing.