RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s animation industry is doing well at the box office but missing the point, according to Dr. Mohammed Ghazala, professor of animation and head of the School of Cinematic Arts at Effat University.
He argues the real money lies in owning characters and stories that pay out for decades, rather than just for a season.
Animated films pulled in roughly 13.8 percent of Saudi box office revenue in 2024, the most recent year with full data — SR116.4 million ($31 million) out of a total market worth SR845.6 million that year.
Speaking to Al-Eqtisadiah, Ghazala said the economic value of animation did not stop at the cinema but extended into video games, visual effects, digital platforms, licensed merchandise, educational content and entertainment experiences.
This is not kids’ business
