Pan-Arab distributor Mad Solutions and Egyptian multihyphenate Haitham Dabbour’s Irth platform dedicated to supporting standout writers across the Arab world announced a strategic partnership on Saturday at the Venice Film Festival that aims to boost quality content output from the region.
Under the pact, Mad Solutions and Irth will jointly “develop, package and support film, television and other entertainment projects from across the Arab world for regional and international markets,” they said in a statement.
The Irth platform initiative – that was officially launched during the 2025 Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia – is the first collaborative writers’ room bringing together writers from Egypt and Saudi Arabia and beyond.
Cairo-based Mad Solutions, which was established in 2010 by Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab, comprises a network of specialized outfits that include Mad World, focussed on international sales of Arab films; Mad Distribution, which handles sales and distribution of Arab films across the Arab world; and Mad Celebrity, providing full talent management and representation for both on-and off-screen Arab talent.
Mad Solutions and Irth are now developing a pipeline spanning original Arabic projects, some of which are talent-driven, as well as third-party development and consultancy assignments. The first projects germinated from the partnership will be announced, they said.
