‘Saudi Arabia will be a major player in the future of film,’ Mohammed Al-Turki says as Cannes kicks off

Mohammed Al-Turki is the CEO of Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Film Foundation. (Getty Images)
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Updated 18 May 2023
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‘Saudi Arabia will be a major player in the future of film,’ Mohammed Al-Turki says as Cannes kicks off

  • With the Cannes Film Festival set to begin on Tuesday night, the Red Sea Film Foundation CEO discusses the Kingdom’s involvement in cinema’s biggest event and the progress made by the Saudi film industry

DUBAI: In the world of cinema, there is no event that comes close to eclipsing the Cannes Film Festival. Each May, luminaries from every corner of the globe unite in the South of France to both celebrate industry titans at the peak of their powers, and, more importantly, select from the fray the key voices that will shape the future of the artform. Now, with the help of Mohammed Al-Turki, film producer and CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation, Saudi Arabia will play a key role in that future.  

Since taking over the role just over a year ago, Al-Turki has become a global ambassador for Saudi and Arab film alike, working to not only elevate the stature of the country’s own premiere festival held in Jeddah each year, but also to help lift rising regional talent to new heights. At Cannes this year, the Red Sea Fund, part of the Red Sea Film Foundation, has supported five films in competition, as well as the festival’s opener, “Jeanne Du Barry,” starring Johnny Depp. 

“Cannes Film Festival is the definitive stage for global film, the jewel in the crown of the festival calendar, and through our partnership we are able to elevate the talent and films that we support on an unparalleled level,” Al-Turki tells Arab News. 

“It’s a meeting point for cinema internationally, so we can build connections across the globe. Cinema is also a major export, and for that you need an international market — through which we have been championing Arab, African and Indian voices.” 

Much has changed for Al-Turki since the last time we spoke in 2021. Back then, he was turning his attention to production in Saudi Arabia after a decade of producing Hollywood films starring top names such as Richard Gere, Gary Oldman and Andrew Garfield. He hoped, project by project, that he could shine a spotlight on some of those in the Kingdom who had long been ignored. Now, with the might of the foundation behind him, he has the power to do so much more, which has left him keenly aware of just how much there is still to do.    

“This position has made me realize more fully the challenges that exist and the barriers there still are for people outside the Hollywood system,” says Al-Turki. “But, thankfully, there is talent and tenacity enough for these creatives to thrive.” 

Part of overcoming those barriers, of course, is not just funding projects from experienced talent — it’s identifying and developing talent at the nascent stage their careers in all aspects of filmmaking. This year, Red Sea Labs and the Red Sea Film Foundation are partnering with the Cannes Marché du Film to establish the inaugural Cannes Makers program, a talent-development program. Three young professionals from Saudi Arabia will be taking part: Shahad Abonomai, Raghad Bajbaa, and Marwan Elshafie. 

“We want to support people who have drive and vision and just need to be given the opportunity to get more of a foothold in the industry, and we saw so much potential in these three,” says Al-Turki proudly.  

Al-Turki has also found himself much more collaborative than before, discovering that a leader is only as good as those he surrounds himself with.  

“I recognize that it’s a very collective effort, first and foremost. I am so grateful to be able to be the public face of this movement to enrich the ecosystem of Saudi filmmaking, and give Arab cinema a space on the global stage, but it is something which really takes a village and we have an incredible team, network of partners, and most importantly a burgeoning cohort of creative talent to uplift and support,” says Al-Turki.  

The progress that his team — and Saudi Arabia’s film industry as a whole — have made is nothing short of astounding so far. “We have so much to offer and have achieved so much for such a young industry,” he says. “It’s incredible to look back at the progress: Red Sea International Film Festival is heading towards our third edition and already we are a real player in the global industry calendar.”  

A festival, one might say, is only as good as the films it champions. To have its fund support two films — Kaouther Ben Hania’s “Four Daughters” and Ramata-Toulaye Sy’s “Banel & Adama” — in competition for the Palme d’Or, the festival’s top prize, as well as another which marks an historic debut for Sudanese cinema at the festival, is a badge of honor for both the foundation and Al-Turki himself.  

“Being a part of these watershed moments is very humbling and gives me great hope for the future of cinema from our region,” says Al-Turki.  

But this is only the beginning. Both the foundation and the Saudi film industry as a whole are only a few years old, but the Kingdom is well on the way to becoming the main center for Arab and regional film.  

“I see Saudi Arabia as a major player in the future of film in the region, definitely — not least because of the work we are doing with the Red Sea Film Foundation. It’s also an incredible filming destination, and home to so much burgeoning talent,” says Al-Turki.  

Al-Turki himself is continuing to produce films — he’s executive producer of the upcoming Michael Mann film “Ferrari,” starring Adam Driver — but when he thinks of his own legacy, it’s Saudi Arabia that he’s most focused on. It’s his home, the place where he once fell in love with film, just a boy from AlKhobar in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province. 

Al-Turki recalls that he once amassed such a large collection of movies that he would rent out his VHS and LaserDisc collection to other students from the parking lot in AlKhobar. Why? Because he wanted to share his greatest passion; to pass on the same joy he’d found in each worn copy. It’s that same impulse that’s guiding him today, only he’s not just sharing the magic of movies, he’s helping create it on a mass scale.  

“I want to have made a tangible impact in placing Saudi Arabia on the map in the cinema ecosystem,” he says. “From a country without movie theaters five years ago, we have had such a flourishing of the industry, both creatively and commercially, and it’s hugely rewarding to be a part of that. I hope that the Red Sea International Film Festival continues to thrive for years to come, and continues to be a place where filmmakers can discover and secure their futures — for it to long outlive all of us.” 


Saudi handicrafts on show at London’s Selfridges

Updated 04 June 2025
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Saudi handicrafts on show at London’s Selfridges

RIYADH: The Saudi Cultural Development Fund (CDF) is showcasing traditional handicrafts from the Kingdom at luxury department store Selfridges in London from June 3-22.

The initiative is taking place during Saudi Arabia’s Year of Handicrafts and is in collaboration with British charity organization Turquoise Mountain, which works to support the production of traditional crafts around the world.

The collection celebrates diverse Saudi artisans and features intricate palm crafts, delicate jewelry and accessories, and fine leatherwork, with an emphasis on showcasing the differences between various regional styles in Saudi Arabia.

Themed around Saudi Arabia’s natural and architectural heritage, the activation highlights work crafted from locally sourced, sustainable materials,  reimagined through a contemporary creative lens.

The showcase is being held alongside an exhibition of fashion designs, supported by the Saudi Fashion Commission. 

A key milestone in the CDF’s efforts to support the Kingdom’s cultural sector is the recent launch of the Nama’ Accelerators: Handicrafts Track — a dedicated solution that supports cultural businesses through specialized training, mentorship, and financial incentives.


Artist Massoud Hayoun’s London exhibition ‘Stateless’ explores identity, exile

Updated 04 June 2025
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Artist Massoud Hayoun’s London exhibition ‘Stateless’ explores identity, exile

DUBAI: Los Angeles-based artist and author Massoud Hayoun has spent his career exploring identity, exile and resistance. 

His latest exhibition, “Stateless,” running at London’s Larkin Durey art gallery until June 27, is an exploration of control, culture and community.

His paintings are imbued with the legacy of his Egyptian and Tunisian Jewish heritage. (Supplied)

Raised by his grandparents, Hayoun paints their stories of exile, love and resilience in shades of blue, blending personal narratives with icons of Arab cinema and song to highlight shared cultural memories. 

His paintings are imbued with the legacy of his Egyptian and Tunisian Jewish heritage, but they also reach beyond his own family’s history. His grandfather left Egypt, and his mother was born without citizenship — experiences that deeply inform his work. 

In “Stateless,” he extends this exploration of displacement and belonging to other communities, particularly Palestinians and undocumented Americans, he told Arab News. “In this show, you’ll find people suspended between homeland and refuge, suspended in mid-air, suspended between life and death and living out a sort of existentialist heroism, suspended in undying romance,” he said.

Hayoun’s journey to painting was shaped by his background in journalism. (Supplied)

Hayoun’s journey to painting was shaped by his background in journalism. A former journalist, he is also the author of “When We Were Arabs,” a book on Arab identity that won an Arab American Book Award and was named a National Public Radio best book of the year in 2019. 

His transition from writing to painting was a natural evolution. “I am a figurative painter — I paint people. My journalism was animated by a love of people and a desire to better understand, through interviews like this, people from walks of life drastically different to my own,” he said.

His use of blue is deliberate. Initially reserved for people who had died, the color now engulfs all his subjects, evoking the transient nature of identity and existence. “At first, I only painted my grandparents and other dead people in shades of blue, because to my mind, the glow of it seemed ghostly. I cast other people in different colors to signify other states of being. Eventually, after reflections on time, everyone became blue, even myself,” he said.

The artist's use of blue is deliberate. Initially reserved for people who had died, the color now engulfs all his subjects.  (Supplied)

Yet, at its core, Hayoun’s work is about more than politics — it is about love. “These works touch on sweeping political, philosophical and sociological issues, but they are fundamentally about love for people,” he said. 

“They are meant in the way my grandparents expressed anxiety as a kind of love—fear for my well-being, fervent hopes that I live well and in dignity. These paintings are explosions of love,” he added. 


Rami Al-Ali becomes first Syrian designer to join France’s Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode

Updated 04 June 2025
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Rami Al-Ali becomes first Syrian designer to join France’s Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode

DUBAI: Rami Al-Ali has become the first Syrian designer to join France’s prestigious Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode as a guest member, giving him the chance to showcase his Autumn/Winter 2025 collection on the official haute couture calendar.

The invitation signifies Al-Ali’s entry into fashion’s upper echelons — to qualify, fashion houses must meet rigorous “haute couture” or “high fashion” standards and the title is legally protected under French law.

Al-Ali joins the likes of Chanel, Dior, and Schiaparelli on the official calendar next month. His latest collection will be presented on July 10, according to the provisional calendar.

It is a “historical milestone, celebrating a lifelong devotion to craftsmanship, culture, and creative expression, rooted in heritage and elevated by vision,” the fashion house posted on Instagram.

Originally from Damascus, Al-Ali honed his fashion skills in Dubai and Beirut before founding his label, Rami Al-Ali Couture, in 2001.

His creations have been worn by a variety of celebrities, including Amal Clooney, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lopez, and Jessica Chastain.

Al-Ali’s work has been praised for seamlessly blending his Middle Eastern heritage with Western sensibilities. He is known for designing flowing silhouettes adorned with intricate, playful embellishments—creations that are both timeless and runway-worthy.

Al-Ali is one of just a handful of Arab designers on the official haute couture calendar. The lineup also includes Lebanese designers Georges Hobeika, Elie Saab, and Zuhair Murad, as well as Saudi couturier Mohammed Ashi.  

Ashi, founder of Paris-based label Ashi Studio, became the first designer from the Gulf region to join the exclusive group in 2023 as a guest member. His designs have also been worn by global celebrities such as Beyonce, Anna Kendrick, and Jennifer Hudson.

“This appointment is the highlight of my career,” Ashi said in a statement posted on Instagram when the announcement was made in 2023. “I will honor it in the memory of the great couturiers who came before me and whom I now join in the pursuit of this grand tradition of excellence in creativity and savoir-faire. 

 


Huda Kattan reclaims full ownership of Huda Beauty

Updated 03 June 2025
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Huda Kattan reclaims full ownership of Huda Beauty

DUBAI: Huda Kattan announced on Tuesday that she regained full ownership of Huda Beauty, the brand she founded in 2013, following the end of an eight-year partnership with private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners.

In 2017, TSG acquired a minority stake in Huda Beauty. As of 2025, Kattan has bought back that equity, making the brand fully independent once again and one of the few major beauty companies that is 100 percent founder-owned.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Huda (@huda)

“Taking back full ownership of Huda Beauty is a deeply very important moment for me,” said Kattan. “It says that while many of us dreamers have visions that we are told are too big or not possible to do alone, in actuality, you have all the power you need to change the world yourself! This brand was built on passion, creativity, and a desire to challenge the beauty industry. As we step into this new chapter, I’m more committed than ever to pushing boundaries, staying true to our roots, and showing up for our incredible community every step of the way.”

Kattan, who serves as founder and co-CEO, now leads the company alongside her husband Christopher Goncalo, also co-CEO, and her sister Alya Kattan, who oversees social strategy.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Huda (@huda)

Kattan is recognized as a Fortune 40 Under 40 honoree, one of Forbes’ Self-Made Women in the US, and one of Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen in the Middle East, as well as a TIME100 Impact Awards recipient and one of TIME’s 25 Most Influential People on the Internet. 

Her brand is known for a number of cult-favorite products, including the Easy Routine trio — Easy Primer, Easy Blur and Easy Bake Setting Powder.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by HUDA BEAUTY (@hudabeauty)

The brand has also received industry recognition for its product quality and innovation, earning accolades such as the Allure Best of Beauty Award, Elle Beauty Award and Cosmopolitan Beauty Award.

Just last week, the brand was ranked the world’s most popular beauty brand in the latest Cosmetify Q1 2025 Beauty Index.

The Cosmetify Index ranks beauty brands each quarter based on factors such as search volume, social engagement and brand visibility.

The brand topped the global list ahead of industry names such as Dior, Fenty Beauty, Rhode and Rare Beauty.

The brand also topped Cosmetify’s list in 2019 and 2020. 

In 2018, the company was valued at more than $1 billion by Forbes.


Saudi Arabia makes bold debut at SXSW London

Updated 03 June 2025
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Saudi Arabia makes bold debut at SXSW London

DUBAI: SXSW has taken off this week in London, with the Saudi Film Commission hosting a series of exciting cultural events.

Originating in Austin, Texas, this is the South by Southwest festival’s first edition in London — and notably, the Kingdom’s debut at the renowned indie film showcase, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.

The Saudi Film Commission, in collaboration with SXSW, will present a curated selection of short films as a part of the “Saudi Film Nights” initiative.

Under the umbrella of Vision 2030, this program supports the Kingdom’s broader effort to diversify its economy, with particular emphasis on growing its entertainment sector.

The Kingdom’s pavilion, known as The Sadu House, will also spotlight contributions from the Music Commission, Culinary Arts Commission, and Fashion Commission, showcasing Saudi Arabia’s rich and diverse cultural landscape to a global audience.

In addition, the commission will host a panel discussion titled “Empowering the Film Industry in Saudi Arabia: From Vision to Reality.” The session will delve into cinema’s role in shaping national identity, preserving heritage, and advancing Saudi content as a powerful cultural tool.

Each day of the festival will feature a showcase of emerging Saudi talent.

On June 3, for example, SXSW attendees will experience a taste of Saudi hip-hop with performances by AZIZ.wav, SHANCOTY, and JEED — artists known for their unique blend of hip-hop flair, Afrobeat influences, and slow R&B tones.

On June 4, the Kingdom will shift gears and present its underground heavy music scene with performances by death metal bands Wasted Land, Sijeel, and Gimmix, marking a bold introduction of Saudi rock to the SXSW stage.

In addition to performances, festivalgoers can attend cultural panels featuring industry professionals from across the Arab world. Topics include female leadership, entrepreneurial ambition, and the evolution of Saudi Arabia’s film industry.

The opening panel on June 3 is titled “Vision 2030: Cultural Opportunities for Social and Economic Transformation,” which will explore the potential of Saudi Arabia’s cultural power.

Day two will feature a session “Fashion Future Platform: How Data Informs Investment Decisions,” offering a deep dive into the intersection of fashion and data-driven innovation.

Another session on day two, “WWD Female Empowerment – Challenges Facing Women Creatives in a Male-Dominated World,” will spotlight the obstacles and breakthroughs for women in the creative sector.

Finally, day three will have a panel “Sustainability – Challenges of Creating Green Fashion and Beauty in a Throwaway World,” which will underscore the need for sustainability in the industry.