London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

‘Hollywood of the Arab world’ faces pandemic horror show

‘Hollywood of the Arab world’ faces pandemic horror show

Egyptian cinemas are slowly reopening after months of lockdown, but the huge sector sometimes dubbed “the Hollywood of the Arab world” has taken a severe hit during the pandemic.

After movie theatres were shuttered because of COVID-19 from at least March to June, filmmakers and the wider sector are bracing for an uncertain future.

“This year has been a great loss to the movie industry in Egypt,” actor Sherif Ramzy said. The industry came to a complete halt for months.”

Egypt has a long love affair with the silver screen, and usually cinema fans will queue outside movie houses for the latest romantic comedy, drama or action flick.

But this year major summer releases were put on hold indefinitely, and production of many movies was at least temporarily suspended.

Only a single film, the sci-fi comedy “Al Ghassala” (“The Washing Machine”), was released during the Eid al-Adha Muslim celebration, which typically sees six or seven movies premiere every year.

In June, the government threw a lifeline to the reeling industry by allowing cinemas to open their doors but keep attendance capped at 25 percent to ensure social distancing.

“Even the partial reopening of theatres has not helped get the ball rolling,” said Ramzy.

Egypt, with more than 100 million people, has recorded nearly 100,000 infections and more than 5,000 deaths.

Daily new reported cases have fallen but Egypt fears a second wave may hit as lockdown measures are eased.

For the industry, the public health crisis has dealt a severe blow at a time Egyptian cinema has been struggling to reclaim its past glory as the region's creative powerhouse. Egyptian movies have for decades been popular across the Middle East and North Africa, profoundly influencing popular culture and spreading the country's vernacular.

The Egyptian film industry had its golden age in the mid 20th century when screen star Omar Sharif, the actor Gamil Ratib and director Youssef Chahine achieved global fame.

Classic Egyptian movies captured life under British colonial rule, the decline of the monarchy and the formation of the republic under president Gamal Abdel Nasser.

The sector fell into decline in the 1970s when the state’s role in the industry receded and studios pumped out commercial fare critics slammed as formulaic and lacking in production values.



The sector was again hit by the political turmoil in the years following the 2011 uprising that unseated longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak, when production slowed and cinema audiences declined.

But industry professionals say the novel coronavirus pandemic has been like no other crisis.

Filmmakers have been forced to reduce staff and regularly sanitise locations that are typically teeming with huge crews and frenetic activity.

A film set may usually see more than a 100 people at a time, including stylists and make-up artists who are in close contact with actors.

Several Egyptian celebrities, including prominent actors, reported testing positive for the virus following the end of filming Ramadan series.

In July, seasoned actress Ragaa al-Geddawy died after a weeks-long struggle with the illness.

The Egyptian Center for Economic Studies (ECES) said that the industry employs at least half a million people, 40 percent of whom are on fixed contracts.

“We have been paying staff and crew members for months and we had zero income,” said Ramzy, who also runs a production company.

Last year the Egyptian film industry made 33 movies, earning $72 million, according to an ECES report. The figure is small by global standards, but “in terms of revenues, it is still the highest in the Arab world,” the center said.

“Projections for 2020 are far less, especially as dependence on movie tickets sales has now become too risky,” said producer Mohamed Hefzy.

“We will have to wait until a full return to normalcy, which may not be this year at all. Perhaps next year.”

Lockdowns have boosted online streaming services everywhere, and in Egypt Watch iT, which launched last year, has become one of the biggest players.

Following the March launch of its #stayhome promotion, "the service saw a huge increase of the subscription base," Moustapha Bekheet, its vice president and managing director, told AFP via email.

During Ramadan, the service which already boasts more than 65,000 hours of online content, acquired multiple top series and TV shows.
The Ramadan season brought an increase in daily active users to "more than 89 percent," he said.

Hefzy, who is also president of the Cairo International Film Festival, said the transition to online platforms is "a natural development, and COVID-19 only hastened it".

They serve as a hedge for producers against losses, especially during the pandemic, he added.

"But they cannot substitute movie theatres," he said. "The cinema experience remains to be unique and important and it should be preserved."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×