Saudi offers 60% rebate on production costs to attract global film and TV

Saudi doubles down on filmmaking incentives scheme: The Saudi Film Commission is raising its cash rebate incentives for film and TV productions to 60% from 40%, bidding to grow its embryonic domestic industry by bringing more global players to the country. The commission made the announcement at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday.

The rebate scheme was first introduced at Cannes in 2022, but filmmakers had previously complained that it was too complicated to navigate, the US-based entertainment industry news outlet Variety reports. “We have worked on developing a number of regulatory and operational aspects related to the incentives program, most notably the launch of the financial audit and disbursement procedures guide, with the aim of improving implementation efficiency and providing filmmakers with greater clarity,” commission chief Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Qahtani said.