As the world gets to grips with the growing implications of the U.S.-Israeli air war against Iran, film and TV professionals in neighboring Gulf territories are holding their breath and hoping the conflict will not escalate further.
Outside of Israel, which has borne the brunt of Iran’s retaliatory strikes since Saturday, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman have also been on the receiving end of Iranian attacks, mainly targeting U.S. bases and oil and gas facilities on their soil, but not only.
It was a nerve-wracking weekend across the UAE in which three people were killed by falling debris from intercepted missiles, with Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s main airports as well as the luxury Fairmont Hotel in Dubai’s upmarket The Palm neighborhood among the sites sustaining damage.
Local professionals report, however, that they are cautiously getting on with their lives and attempting to keep a business as usual attitude for now.
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“Shops and offices are open. People are also working from home but there are also cars and people on the streets, although it does feel quieter out there,” said one Dubai-based professional, talking around 5pm local time on Monday.
“It’s just a shock, because for most people living in the Gulf we see it as a very safe place,” they said, echoing many Gulf expat residents who often suggest they feel safer on the streets of Doha or Dubai than London or Paris. “It unprecedented”.
In a statement on Sunday, the Emirati Ministry of Defence said that since the start of hostilities, Iran had launched 165 ballistic missiles toward the UAE, 152 of which were destroyed, while 13 fell into the sea, as well as two cruise missiles, which were also intercepted, 541 drones, 506 of which were intercepted and destroyed, while 35 fell within the country, causing material damage. Attacks have continued on Monday.
At the same time as images of first strikes on the UAE started to circulate on Saturday, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships carried on as scheduled with finals, although a number of players are now stuck in the country waiting for flights to resume.
Over in neighboring Qatar, Iranian attacks have targeted the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base, natural gas production facilities and civilian targets such as its Doha Hamad International Airport.
In Saudi Arabia, there been reports of blasts to the east of the capital of Riyadh over the weekend while on Monday the country’s Ras Tanura oil refinery was hit by debris from an intercepted Iranian drone.
Deadline has been told this has not impacted film and TV production as yet, although enquiries to local exhibitors on whether programming has been disrupted have gone unanswered for now.
“I think for now, it’s safe to say production is not affected, especially in Saudi. Obviously, there’s disruption to travel but hopefully this will pass sooner than later,” said one exec.
The production of Alik Sakharov’s military epic Unbroken Sword, in the PlayMaker Studios outside Riyadh, was keeping to schedule with 450 crew on site, said a spokesperson.
One of the biggest current issues remains dealing with the hundreds of thousands of international travellers, who were either holidaying in the Gulf or passing through the Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports, with most flights suspended since Saturday until at least March 3.
Longer term implications
In the backdrop, this is slower period for the Gulf, with the region’s population currently marking the month-long Ramadan period, running from February 17 to March 19 this year, in which observant Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.
Working days and weeks are shorter across Ramadan, which is also known for the Ramadan series, which traditionally play after the Iftar breaking of the fast, and gather families around the TV.
If the conflict continues, its full impact on the entertainment world in the region will be felt more keenly during the Eid Al Fitr holidays from March 19, marking the end of Ramadan. As well as being a time of prayer and family gatherings, it is usually a busy time for cinemas and other forms of entertainment.
And while “a keep calm and carry on attitude” appears to be prevailing for now, there are deeper concerns about the longer-term implications for the region’s film and TV industries, which the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been working hard to scale up in recent years.
The Gulf’s peak film festival season is the fourth quarter of the year, with Qatar’s Doha Film Festival and Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival unfolding in November and December respectively, as part of a burgeoning fall season program of cultural, sporting and entertainment events across the region, but a handful of springtime events could be impacted.
There is a question mark over whether Qatar’s Doha Film Institute will be able to go ahead with its annual Qumra talent and project event, which is scheduled to take place from March 27 to April 1, with announced guests including Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna.
The country’s upcoming sports events such as the Qatar Football Festival (March 26-31), topped by the Finalissima 2026, a marquee match between Argentina and Spain on March 27, also look in doubt.
The conflict also comes just months after the country ratcheted up its efforts to become a major film world player, with the announcement of a 50% film and TV cash rebate and a slew of high profile partnerships at a special event in Doha last December.
In the wider region, a question mark also hangs over Formula 1‘s upcoming Gulf races with the Bahrain Grand Prix scheduled for April 10-12 and Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Grand Prix, taking place on April 17–19.
A longer term key factor is the threat the conflict poses to the region’s oil and gas production, which remains its main source of income in spite of efforts to diversify economies in recent years.
QatarEnergy announced on Monday that it had temporarily halted the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after Iranian attacks on some of its facilities, while the incident at Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil refinery also impacted production.
The launch of the joint U.S.-Israeli operation against Iran, came just 24 hours after Paramount won a months’ long battle to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in a $110B deal believed to be partly bankrolled by investors in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.
If the conflict sets in for the long haul, the Gulf’s ability to make big ticket media and entertainment investments could come under pressure.