DUBAI: The burgeoning Saudi film industry is going from strength to strength. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle On Tuesday, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al-Saud, Minister of Culture and Governor of the Royal Commission for AlUla, took to X to reveal that the Saudi box office has made SAR 421.8 million ($112,410,096) in the first half of 2024, adding that two of the three leading films were Saudi-produced. He did not reveal the names of the two films. “Saudi box office sales have reached 8.5 million tickets with revenues exceeding 421.8m SAR during the first half of 2024. Two of the best-selling films amongst the top 3 are Saudi #SaudiVision20230,” he wrote. Saudi Arabia’s cinema scene has been booming since lifting its 35-year ban in 2018. With 66 theaters across 22 cities and box office sales reaching $919 million in 2023 (up 25% from 2022), the industry is growing at a rapid pace. While Hollywood films like Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” and Tom Cruise-starring “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning” have contributed to ticket sales, Saudi films have also been making a mark. Saudi filmmaker Ali Kalthami’s Riyadh-based thriller “Mandoob” (“Night Courier”) has been a success since it was released at the beginning of 2024, soaring to the top of the Saudi box office following its screening at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah. The film tells the story of Fahad, who, after getting fired from a call centre, takes a job as a night courier who illegally sells alcohol in order to save his ailing father. “Sattar,” the Saudi Arabian family comedy about a depressed man who follows his dreams of becoming a freestyle wrestling champion, smashed box office records last year, earning $2.2 million over its first 12 days, instantly making it the highest-grossing Saudi movie of all time, so far.