Saudi Arabia’s Neom Media Hub Lures First Bollywood Film

Neom, the Saudi Arabian area that’s aiming to change into a significant movie and TV manufacturing hub, has lured its first Bollywood shoot “Dunki,” starring Shah Rukh Khan, and booked 200-episode-a-year Saudi cleaning soap opera “Distinctive,” produced by MBC, that shall be maintaining one in all its new sound levels busy for a protracted stretch.

“Dunki,” which is about in varied components of the world, solely did a second unit shoot within the sprawling space located alongside Saudi’s Crimson Coastline in Tabuk, within the northwest of the dominion. However, “it was vital,” mentioned Wayne Borg, who heads the nascent media media hub, each by way of “the dimensions of manufacturing that it brings,” and as an “entree to start out demonstrating to the Indian market what we will provide.”

Close by Abu Dhabi, within the United Arab Emirates, has lately was a chief vacation spot to shoot Bollywood blockbusters, largely due to its 30% rebate on manufacturing spending and different perks. Neom, which provides a 40%-plus money rebate manufacturing scheme and is busy constructing infrastructure, is changing into a extremely aggressive proposition, significantly for Indian productions together with worldwide ones at giant.

“I feel our ambitions are a lot larger than theirs,” Borg famous, referring to the UAE. He mentioned the plan is to construct greater than 40 sound levels at Neom over the following 4 years. The primary three of those are already operational. An extra seven, together with a high-tech volumetric sound stage, are set to open by Q1 2023.

In the meantime, the arrival at Neom of MBC’s “Distinctive,” particulars of that are being saved underneath wraps, will deliver a sizeable crew and forged based mostly at Neom, “demonstrating that this isn’t nearly fly-in, fly-out manufacturing,” Borg identified. “We’re constructing our potential for exhibits like this to draw expertise as a result of they’re seeing that continuity of labor is vital.”

Concerning flights, there are actually direct flights from Dubai into Neom, and beginning in late December there shall be direct flights to London. “It’s a four-and-a-half-hour flight that’s straight into Neom,” Borg mentioned. “Neom Airport is actually 10 minutes away from our media village, so it’s very shut. I feel that’s one other huge step ahead for producers.”

Neom has hosted some 26 productions over the previous 18 months, together with Hollywood-style $150 million tentpole “Desert Warrior,” that includes an all-star worldwide forged led by “Captain America” star Anthony Mackie, and directed by Rupert Wyatt (“Planet of the Apes”). It is going to be attention-grabbing to see if, and when, they’ll begin luring Hollywood shoots.