Neom has announced the formal operational opening of Neom Media Village and Bajdah Desert Studios, which together make up Saudi Arabia’s largest sound stages and film production support facilities.
In a statement, Neom said the Media Village currently features one 2,400sqm soundstage, complete with back-of-house facilities such as make-up rooms, green rooms and production offices. There are three further stages under construction, it added.
The facilities are said to have supported approximately 25 productions over the last 18 months and have been built to accommodate the immediate and growing demand from regional and international producers for quality TV and film facilities.
In June 2022, Neom awarded the contract for one of the largest transportation and utility infrastructure projects in the world.
The first three sound stages across the two locations are already operational. A further seven, including a high-tech volumetric production stage, are set to open by Q1 2023, it added.
“Clearly production incentives play a vital role in terms of attracting productions but are best leveraged when the entire package is in place: infrastructure, on-the-ground international production expertise, crew depth and ease of doing business,” remarked Wayne Borg, Managing Director for Media Industries, Entertainment and Culture at Neom.
The Bajdah Desert Studios feature two 3,000sqm sound stages, with a further four scheduled to come online by the end of 2022. All the studios will have world-class production facilities including set production offices, construction warehouses, prop shops, wardrobe, and SFX facilities. There will also be backlot space available to accommodate complex set builds.
Late in June 2022, Keller said that it had secured a major piling contract for The Line in Neom.
Film and ancillary equipment including cameras; grip and lighting; shotover; heavy-lift drones, telehandlers, boom lifts, scissor lifts and trackway are available on both sites, while a total of 350 dedicated accommodation units for cast and crew, supported by lifestyle facilities, will be available, the statement noted.
“Neom is now in the position to offer this competitive package. This is an important milestone in realising our aim of becoming the epicentre of the regional media industry,” Borg added.
In July 2022, His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Chairman of the Neom Board of Directors unveiled images of The Line.
