Indie Film 'Hobal' Breaks Records With 500,000 Viewers in Four Weeks

‘Hobal’, an independent Saudi film directed by Abdulaziz Alshlahei, has become the fastest-growing independent film in the kingdom’s history, with over 500,000 admissions in four weeks.

Written by Mufarrij Almajfel, the film follows a Bedouin family facing isolation after the Gulf War. The cast features Ibrahim Al-Hassawi (‘Scales’), Mishaal Almutairi (‘Forty Years and One Night’), and Mila Alzahrani (‘The Perfect Candidate’).

Since its release on January 2nd, ‘Hobal’ has amassed 527,000 ticket sales and grossed SAR 21,633,556 (approximately USD 5,767,923 million). The film has held the number one spot in the nation’s box office for four consecutive weeks.

Building on its record-breaking opening week of 119,717 admissions, ‘Hobal’ has sold-out screenings from Riyadh to Jeddah and even rural areas, where audience engagement accounted for over 20% of total admissions. Since its release in Kuwait, UAE, Oman, and Bahrain on January 23rd, the film has already achieved over 87,000 admissions.

The film was produced by Shaf Studios, with Egypt’s Film Clinic and Peninsula Pictures Group as co-producers. ‘Hobal’ is led by producer Sharif Almajali, p.g.a, alongside executive producers Abdulaziz Alshlahei, Mofarij Almujfel, and Mohamed Al Turki. The film is backed by the Daw’ Film Competition, the Saudi Film Commission, the Quality of Life Program, and NEOM, with additional support from private sector partners.