Saudi Arabia’s industry minister meets Saudi students in Turkey

Saudi Arabia’s industry minister meets Saudi students in Turkey

RIYADH: Renowned American director and producer Michael Bay, known for the “Transformers” franchise, is positive about the future of Saudi Arabia’s film and gaming industries.

In an interview with Arab News at Riyadh’s Next World Forum, the world’s largest gathering of esports and gaming experts and influencers, Bay said he also plans to shoot a movie in AlUla, with “talks” currently underway.

Known for his stylized, high-concept productions and box-office hits, he apparently had a hand in laying the groundwork for the Saudi film industry. Bay said that it was Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, during a visit to Hollywood a few years ago, who had asked him: “How do I get movies to my country?”

This was prior to Saudi Arabia opening cinemas in 2018.

Bay said: “I’ve shot around the world. I shot a lot in the Middle East and one of the things to get a big movie like mine, worth a couple of hundred million dollars, you have to have infrastructure. I like going to places that I’ve never shot before. 

“To MBS, I said, raise your tax rebate to 40 percent, the highest in the world, because you have to draw people there. Ironically, I had scouted AlUla desert probably