As the U.S.-Israel-Iran war enters its fourth week, amid air strikes that comprise Gulf states and Lebanon, early indications are that the conflict’s impact on moviegoing in the affected Arab countries is, quite surprisingly, not catastrophic.
In terms of movie theatre closures, there have only been brief reported disruptions. In one of these, the Novo Cinemas chain shuttered for a couple of days in Doha on Saturday Feb. 28, when Iran filed dozens of missiles at Qatar. But on the following Monday they were open again.
As is customary, box office across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region dropped during the monthlong Feb. 17-March 19 Ramadan period when daytime cinema attendance plunges due to fasting and TV generally rules overall. So the best way to start taking the wartime moviegoing pulse is to look at the first frame of the Eid al-Fitr holiday that marks the end of Ramadan.
“Early indications suggest a softer Eid box office across MENA, reflecting a combination of external pressures and a lighter release slate, though the market remains resilient overall,” Gianluca Chakra, head of pan-Arab distribution outfit Front Row Filmed Entertainment, told Variety.
According to Comscore, MENA region admissions for this past weekend (March 19-22) are actually up a huge 48% year-on-year to 907,752 compared to the equivalent Eid weekend frame in 2025 (March 27-30). The aggregated Comscore figures include Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
But, since you can’t just compare the weekend frames when it comes to Eid and have to take into consideration the whole week and the days off, which vary country by country, the real picture is less rosy. For example, the UAE box office peaked on the weekend this year, but people had to get back to work on Monday. Whereas last year, the Monday and Tuesday were Eid holidays. The box office results on those days were huge, and not included in Comscore’s 2025 comparative frame.
In Saudi Arabia, which is the MENA region’s leading market, box office remained relatively stable this past weekend, with no major drop-off. Reflecting the strength of local titles, Saudi comedy “Shabab El Bomb 3” ruled the roost with SR 3.9 million ($1 million) in grosses; followed by Hollywood hit “Project Hail Mary,” that took in SR 2.3 million ($618,000); and Egyptian comedy “Family Business” which pulled SR 1.8 million ($ 500,000).
One major concern is that MENA distributors are now holding on to titles and deciding to push releases back due to the wartime turbulence. The absence, or postponement, of several key Egyptian releases – mainly because of uncertainties due to the war – has limited box office intake during what is traditionally a peak cinema going period.
Though data from Qatar and Kuwait is still being consolidated, “Kuwait held up better than expected, since the drop is under 30%,” said Hisham Al Ghanim, vice chairman at the Kuwait National Cinema Company, which is Kuwait’s top exhibitor. “With the conflict still contained, the market has shown resilience; but it’s clear we’re operating below what should have been a peak period,” he added.
“Resilience” is also the byword in Dubai’s arthouse cinema milieu, as told in this poignant commentary piece by Butheina Kazim, founder of Dubai’s Cinema Akil, to Abu Dhabi-based English-language newspaper The National.
“On Friday, March 6, we reopened the doors of Cinema Akil after a brief shelter-in-place order across Dubai,” she writes. “At noon, Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘Spirited Away’ was about to begin,” the testimonial continues.
“Momo waited at the box office, Vik in the projection tower, Ansu by the door – scanner in hand – ready to welcome our community back. No one came. Ten minutes later, just as we were swallowing the quiet disappointment of a failed comeback, a figure appeared at the entrance – exactly as the alarm sounded again. We gestured for him to join us in the warehouse’s secure corner, waiting for the all-clear.”
“Are you okay?” I asked, worried about our lone cinephile. He smiled shyly, ticket still in hand. “I’m from Kabul,” he said.
“This is not new to me.”
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