Saudi director Abdulaziz al-Shlahei to shoot a film in NEOM

Abdulaziz al-Shlahei, a famous director from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is set to shoot a feature film called ‘Hobal’ in NEOM, a planned smart city in Tabuk Province in the Kingdom.

The Saudi director will start to shoot his upcoming feature film ‘Hobal’ in September. Saudi actors Mohammed al-Toyan and Mishal al-Mutairi are part of the feature film.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the makers will use Bajdah Studios and its vast landscapes to create ‘Hobal’ in NEOM. NEOM will provide production assistance to the makers of the feature film. The crew, location scouting, logistics, and on-the-ground production expertise will help Saudi director Abdulaziz al-Shlahei.

Wayne Borg, the Managing Director of Media Industries, Entertainment, and Culture at NEOM, said, “We are happy to be the location of choice for Abdulaziz al-Shlahei’s latest feature film ‘Hobal’.”

Abdulaziz al-Shlahei said, “We decided to shoot the film on NEOM and Bajdah because the captivating landscapes will be an influential and integral part of the narrative.”

He also thanked the NEOM Media Industries team for supporting the feature film. He lauded the stunning landscapes of NEOM. 

Hollywood Cryptocurrency TV show “Paper Empire” is set to be filmed in the neighboring province of AlUla.

“Hobal” is a story about a Saudi family living in isolation in the desert in the 1990s. The family is not allowed to leave the desert because of their grandfather’s strict instructions. However, a series of events put them in a struggle between life and death. 

Hobal marks Abdulaziz al-Shlahei’s third feature film. He has been planning to make Hobal since 2018. 

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Earlier, his Saudi period film “The Tambour of Retribution” received two prestigious awards at the Cairo Film Festival. The film was also selected as Saudi Arabia’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards last year.

The scriptwriter of “The Tambour of Retribution,” Mufarrej Al-Majfel, was also one of the winners of a fund award at the Saudi Film Commission’s Daw Film Competition.