Can Saudi Arabia’s AlUla rival Hollywood for film production?

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The site’s remarkable range of services has been drawing inevitable comparisons with facilities offered in Hollywood. (Supplied)
Updated 09 July 2022
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Can Saudi Arabia’s AlUla rival Hollywood for film production?

  • Filmmakers on Saudi’s upcoming feature ‘Norah’ laud benefits of location
  • Dedicated movie resort has apartments for 300 crew, with new studio being built

JEDDAH: AlUla has been garnering a growing reputation among regional and international filmmakers as a premier location because of its enchanting natural landscapes, incentives and expanding infrastructure.

The site’s remarkable range of services has been drawing inevitable comparisons with facilities offered in Hollywood and other production hotspots around the globe.

In 2020, the Royal Commission for AlUla established Film AlUla to attract and assist international movie and television production houses. The body is led by film commissioner Stephen Strachan, a veteran of the UK industry and a respected producer in the Middle East and North Africa.

Tawfik Al-Zaidi, director of the upcoming film “Norah,” has recognized the potential of the location. He wrote the story for the movie in 2015, drawing from his personal experiences as a struggling artist in the early 2000s before cinemas opened in the Kingdom.




Tawfik Al-Zaidi, director of the upcoming film “Norah.” (Supplied)

“Since that time (2015), I have always wanted to film the movie in AlUla,” said Al-Zaidi, who is from the Madinah region and has been visiting AlUla since he was nine years old.

The film tells the story of a young girl searching for her voice and an artist looking for his passion, Al-Zaidi told Arab News.

Home to Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hegra, AlUla has provided the perfect backdrop for several films in the past year. The horror film, “Cello,” written by Turki Al-Sheikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, and “Cherry,” directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and starring Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, were both shot in the historic city.

These were followed by “Kandahar,” starring Gerard Butler, which was the first big-budget Hollywood movie to film extensively in AlUla.

Al-Zaidi wanted to take viewers to this magical destination with which he shares a personal connection. “I’m from Madinah, and my family live here so I know this area very well. I know what the mountains look like,” he said.

Al-Zaidi further explained to Arab News what was attractive about the setting: “When you walk around in AlUla, you feel like you’re walking in a complete museum.”




Yaqoob Al-Farhan, one of the film’s actors. (Supplied)

Yaqoob Al-Farhan, one of the film’s actors, said of the character he portrays: “I think anyone who has artistic interests would really see himself in Nader.”

It’s befitting then that Nader’s story is told in a city that Al-Zaidi calls an “artwork on its own.”

“You see the inscriptions on the mountains, how the rocks are formed and their colors. You see that it already has art and when filming in the village, the background is full of mountains. (So) AlUla resembles the story too,” Al-Zaidi said.

Maria Bahrawi, the 16-year-old actor who plays the lead character, Norah, said: “AlUla is a spectacular area, especially for filmmaking. I believe it will develop even more for movie making especially because of its natural scenery, farms, palm trees.”




Maria Bahrawi, the 16-year-old actor who plays the lead character. (Supplied)

For the film’s producer Paul Miller, AlUla’s varied and unique landscape is what makes it stand out.

“It has about five different types of deserts within a half an hour drive. Normally, when we’re making a movie which requires a certain landscape, you’re driving hours if not days for different landscapes,” Miller told Arab News.

Besides the stunning landscapes, Film AlUla’s support is an important factor in attracting filmmakers to the city.

Miller said: “There’s a lot of logistical support, with permission and access, and they’ve built a dedicated film resort with 300 apartments for crew, and every day more and more of the infrastructure you need around filmmaking is here,” he said.

“They’re planning to build a studio that will hopefully be ready early to middle of next year. There’s a lot of opportunity here to promote it as a film destination because it’s so extraordinary,” he added.

During his time filming in AlUla, he has seen people come visit the city to learn about its beautiful scenery and how Film AlUla can support them. Once “Kandahar” and “Norah” are released, Miller said, “people, both abroad and here, will really see the potential of AlUla as a premier film destination.”

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Israeli army admits to Gaza strike

Updated 06 June 2025
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Israeli army admits to Gaza strike

  • Admission comes following investigation by BBC Verify

DUBAI: The Israeli military has admitted to the BBC that it conducted a strike on the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, which reportedly killed at least one Palestinian and injured 30 others.

The attack took place on Sunday, soon after an incident near a new aid distribution center in Rafah.

BBC’s fact-checking unit, Verify, was analyzing footage of the Rafah incident when it identified a separate strike in nearby Khan Younis.

Initially thought to be linked to the Rafah incident, BBC Verify geolocated the footage to Khan Younis, 4.5 km from the aid distribution site.

The Khan Younis blast had not been announced by the IDF, which regularly publishes operational updates online.

When BBC Verify approached the Israeli military, it admitted it had carried out an artillery strike and said the incident was the result of “technical and operational errors.”

Troops had fired toward a specific target but the artillery deviated and “wrongfully hit the Mawasi area” in Khan Younis, the military said, without providing any evidence to support its claims.

The blast took place in an area where displaced Palestinians had been sheltering. The footage showed bloodied bodies surrounded by dust clouds, BBC said. Women and children could be seen running and screaming as they watched injured people being carried away.

The broadcaster emphasized the rarity of the Israeli military acknowledging errors. BBC Verify’s analysis of its official Telegram account identified four previous instances where it admitted to mistakes or technical and operational errors related to the war in Gaza.


Israeli strike on Gaza hospital kills three journalists

Updated 06 June 2025
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Israeli strike on Gaza hospital kills three journalists

  • Committee to Protect Journalists denounces attack on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital courtyard

LONDON: Three journalists were killed and four others injured in an Israeli strike on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital’s courtyard in central Gaza, drawing condemnations from media rights groups.

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said the attack struck a media tent and identified the victims as Ismail Badah, a cameraman for Palestine Today TV channel, which is affiliated with the Islamic Jihad militant group; Soliman Hajaj, a Palestine Today editor; and Samir A-Refai of the Shams News network.

The strike injured 30 others, including four journalists. Among them were Imad Daloul, a correspondent for Palestine Today, and Ahmed Qalja, a cameraman for Qatar-based Al-Araby TV, both are reported to be in critical condition.

The syndicate accused Israel of “a full-fledged war crime” that “reflects a deliberate and systematic policy aimed at silencing the Palestinian narrative.” It said that targeting journalists “within the grounds of a hospital constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.”

The Israeli military said in a statement that the strike targeted “an Islamic Jihad terrorist who was operating in a command-and-control center” in the hospital’s yard, without providing details or evidence.

In a statement on Thursday, the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the attack, calling for international action to stop Israel from targeting journalists “based on unsubstantiated terrorism claims.”

CPJ regional director Sara Qudah said: “These are not isolated incidents, but systematic attacks by Israel on the media. This disturbing and deliberate pattern must end.

“The killing of journalists in a hospital courtyard on the holy day of Yawm Al-Arafah — preceding Eid Al-Adha — underscores the relentless dangers facing the media in Gaza.”


BBC journalists detained at gunpoint in southern Syria

Updated 05 June 2025
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BBC journalists detained at gunpoint in southern Syria

  • BBC sent complaint to Israeli military about the incident

LONDON: Israeli Defense Forces detained, blindfolded, tied up and strip-searched at gunpoint seven members of a BBC Arabic crew as they approached the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, a BBC journalist said on Thursday. 

Feras Kilani, a British special correspondent for BBC Arabic, said he was among the team detained for seven hours at a checkpoint near the barrier of Quneitra city, located within the buffer zone between Syria and Israel.

“A minute after we started filming in the area, a white car approached from the other side of the checkpoint. Four Israeli soldiers got out of the car and surrounded us. They pointed their rifles at our heads and ordered us to place the camera on the side of the road,” wrote Kilani in a BBC article.

The crew’s phones and laptops were inspected, with some files deleted, and their vehicle was thoroughly searched as they were led into a room, tied up and blindfolded.

Kilani’s team included two Iraqi BBC staff members and four Syrians, among them three freelancers and a cameraman.

“I pleaded to the officer to release them, and he promised to do so after the interrogations. They were taken one by one to the same room for strip search and questioning.”

Kilani said the team was also threatened before their release in the evening: “The officer threatened us with worse consequences if we approached the frontier from the Syrian side again and said that they know everything about us and would track us down if any hidden or un-deleted photo was ever published.”

In a statement, the BBC said it had filed a complaint with the Israeli military over the incident but had yet to receive a response.

“The BBC strongly objects to the treatment of our staff and freelancers in this way. Despite making clear to the soldiers on multiple occasions they were working for the BBC, the behavior they were subjected to is wholly unacceptable,” the broadcaster said. 


YouTube educator says she is ready to risk career for Gaza’s children

Updated 05 June 2025
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YouTube educator says she is ready to risk career for Gaza’s children

  • Ms Rachel says personal encounters with Palestinian families compel her to act

LONDON: American children’s educator and YouTuber Rachel Griffin Accurso, known globally as Ms Rachel, has said she is willing to jeopardize her career to advocate for Palestinian children suffering under Israeli bombardment in Gaza.

Ms Rachel said she had been targeted by online campaigns and faced calls for government investigation after voicing support for children affected by war in Gaza and elsewhere.

Despite growing criticism from some pro-Israel groups and conservative media, she said she remained defiant in a recent interview with WBUR, a Boston-based public radio station.

She said: “I would risk everything — and I will risk my career over and over to stand up for children. It’s all about the kids for me. I wouldn’t be Ms Rachel if I didn’t deeply care about all kids.”

Her comments came as humanitarian agencies continue to sound the alarm over conditions in Gaza, where more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, and the UN has warned that the enclave faces imminent famine.

The YouTube star said a recent meeting with Palestinian mothers, whose children remain trapped in Gaza, had had a profound effect on her. She said: “When you sit with a mother who’s FaceTiming her boys in Gaza who don’t have food, and you see that anguish, you ask yourself: What more can I do?”

Ms Rachel recently published about her encounter with Rahaf, 3, a double amputee from Gaza who was evacuated for medical treatment in the US by the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

Rahaf’s story, including her wish to return to school and stand while praying, has been shared by Ms Rachel on her social media platforms, alongside the educator’s advocacy for children in Gaza.

Ms Rachel has faced accusations of bias, including a call by a pro-Israel organization urging the US attorney general to investigate her messaging. She acknowledged the pressure, but insisted her mission remains unchanged.

She said: “It’s painful, but I know who I am, and I know how deeply and equally I care for all children.”

A former teacher in New York, Ms Rachel said her work had always been rooted in the principle that all children, regardless of nationality or background, deserved dignity, safety, and access to basic needs.

She added: “That’s the basis of everything for me — children are equal.”


BBC defends Gaza coverage after White House criticism over aid site reporting

Updated 04 June 2025
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BBC defends Gaza coverage after White House criticism over aid site reporting

  • White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused the BBC of taking “the word of Hamas with total truth,” claimed the corporation had retracted a story about aid distribution center incident in Rafah on Sunday
  • BBC rejected accusations as “completely wrong,” saying figures were attributed and updated throughout the day based on information from a range of sources

LONDON: The BBC has strongly defended its reporting of a deadly incident near a US-backed aid distribution site in Gaza, rejecting criticism from the White House as “incorrect” and denying claims that it had taken down a story.

The row erupted after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, during a press briefing on Tuesday, accused the BBC of relying on information from Hamas in its initial reporting of a shooting near an aid distribution center in Rafah on Sunday.

Leavitt also claimed the BBC had retracted a story — a claim the broadcaster called “completely wrong.”

“The claim the BBC took down a story after reviewing footage is completely wrong. We did not remove any story and we stand by our journalism,” the BBC said in a statement.

Leavitt’s remarks came in response to questions about reports that Israeli forces had opened fire near the aid site. Holding printed screenshots from the BBC website, she accused the broadcaster of changing casualty figures in multiple headlines and said it had “corrected and taken down” its report.

“The administration is aware of those reports and we are currently looking into the veracity of them because, unfortunately, unlike some in the media, we don’t take the word of Hamas with total truth,” she said.

Leavitt’s remarks came in response to questions about reports that Israeli forces had opened fire near the aid site. AP/File

Leavitt listed a series of changing headlines: “We like to look into it when they speak, unlike the BBC, who had multiple headlines, they wrote, ‘Israeli tank kills 26’, ‘Israeli tank kills 21’, ‘Israeli gunfire kills 31’, ‘Red Cross says, 21 people were killed in an aid incident.’”

“And then, oh, wait, they had to correct and take down their entire story, saying: ‘We reviewed the footage and couldn’t find any evidence of anything,’” she said.

The BBC issued a swift rebuttal, emphasizing that all casualty figures were clearly attributed and updated throughout the day based on information from a range of sources — standard practice in any fast-moving situation, especially during conflict.

According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, at least 31 people were killed in the gunfire. The International Committee of the Red Cross later confirmed that 21 people had died. Initial reports from local medics cited 15 dead.

The numbers were “always clearly attributed, from the first figure of 15 from medics, through the 31 killed from the Hamas-run health ministry to the final Red Cross statement of ‘at least 21’ at their field hospital,” the BBC statement said.

“Our news stories and headlines about Sunday’s aid distribution center incident were updated throughout the day with the latest fatality figures as they came in from various sources … This is totally normal practice on any fast-moving news story.

“Completely separately, a BBC Verify online report on Monday reported a viral video posted on social media was not linked to the aid distribution center it claimed to show.

“This video did not run on BBC news channels and had not informed our reporting. Conflating these two stories is simply misleading,” it added.

Witnesses, NGOs and local health officials said that civilians had been shot at while waiting for food at the Rafah aid point. The Israeli military denied these claims and said its forces had not fired at civilians. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israeli-backed private group overseeing aid distribution, dismissed the reports as “outright fabrications.”

On Wednesday, GHF announced a temporary suspension of its operations in Gaza, citing security concerns. The Israeli army warned that roads leading to aid centers were now considered “combat zones.”

The closure follows a string of deadly incidents that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned as “unacceptable” and potentially “war crimes.”

The information war surrounding the conflict — now in its 21st month — has intensified, with both Israel and Hamas battling to control the narrative.

Independent reporting from Gaza remains limited. Israel continues to bar international media, including the BBC, from entering the territory, forcing news organizations to rely on local journalists, social media and unofficial channels.

Many local reporters are working under extreme physical and psychological pressure and are themselves frequent targets of Israeli airstrikes.

The BBC reiterated its call for unimpeded media access and urged the White House to support that demand.

“It’s important that accurate journalism is respected,” said Jonathan Munro, deputy director of BBC News. “And that governments call for free access to Gaza.”