Rotana Studios

What Rotana Studios does

Rotana Studios is a Riyadh-based film production and distribution company founded in mid-2005 as part of Rotana Group, one of the Middle East's oldest media conglomerates. The studio owns the largest Arabic film library in the world, comprising over 2,000 titles representing approximately 35% of all Arabic films ever produced and 95%+ of films from the 1960s — including 32 of the 100 most important Arabic films of all time and 7 of 24 cinema adaptations of Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz's works. Approximately 75% of the collection originates from before 1990, making it a custodian of Arabic cinematic heritage. The company is led by HRH Princess Lamia bint Majed AlSaud as CEO.

The core business operates across three vectors: (1) original film production and co-production, including recent releases such as 'The Squadron' (Al Serb), 'Shabab Al Bomb 2', and 'Unidentified' directed by Haifaa Al Mansour; (2) licensing of the proprietary library to streaming platforms, television channels, and international distributors across the Arab world and globally; and (3) film restoration and digital preservation. Revenue is generated through one-time licensing fees, royalty streams, and theatrical box office participation, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Distribution channels include theatrical release partnerships, streaming platform licensing, regional broadcast deals, and international sales agents.

The go-to-market is enterprise sales-led, targeting streaming platforms and television channels as primary B2B customers, with marketing executed through international film festivals (Toronto, Zurich, Red Sea, Saudi Film Forum), digital channels, and strategic partnerships with Saudi cultural institutions. The company is positioned as a key vehicle for Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 cultural sector development, evidenced by partnerships with the Cultural Development Fund, Saudi Film Commission, and Daw Initiative. The studio is the legal entity RMS Worldwide and functions as a subsidiary within the Rotana Media Group umbrella alongside Rotana Music Group.

Name

Rotana Studios

Legal name

RMS Worldwide

Website

https://rotanastudios.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rotana Studios is a Riyadh-based film production and distribution subsidiary of Rotana Group that owns the world's largest Arabic film library (2,000+ titles). It produces and co-produces Arabic films, licenses its library to streaming platforms and TV channels, and supports Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 cultural development agenda.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Riyadh

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Film Production and Distribution: Rotana Studios generates revenue through producing and co-producing Arabic films for theatrical release across the Arab world and internationally. The company creates feature and documentary films and monetizes through theatrical releases, streaming platforms, and television channel licensing.
2. Content Licensing: The company licenses its extensive film library of 2000+ Arabic titles to streaming platforms, television channels, and distributors across domestic and global markets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rotana Studios is an Arabic film production house that produces, acquires, restores, and licenses Arabic cinema. The studio creates and co-produces new feature and documentary films, preserves a proprietary library of over 2,000 Arabic titles, and distributes this content through theatrical releases, streaming platforms, and television broadcasters across the Arab world and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Arabic Film Production and Co-Production End-to-end production and co-production of Arabic feature and documentary films for theatrical release, streaming platforms, and television distribution across the Arab world and internationally.
• Arabic Film Library Licensing Licensing of Rotana's 2,000+ title Arabic film catalog (including restored classics from the 1930s–1980s) to streaming platforms, television broadcasters, and international distributors worldwide.
• Film Restoration and Digital Preservation Acquisition, documentation, and digital restoration of classic Arabic films (1930s–1980s) for preservation and re-release to modern distribution channels.
• Theatrical Distribution Services Strategic theatrical release campaigns for Rotana-produced and co-produced films across the Arab region and internationally, through partnerships with global distributors.
• Shabab Al Bomb 2 Saudi comedy-action-thriller film in which the Shabab Al Bomb team faces a gang of forty reckless individuals; rated PG12, runtime 105 minutes.
• Al Serb (The Squadron) Action/drama/war film based on actual events tracing the Egyptian National Security Authorities' operations against terrorist organizations following the 21 Egyptians massacre in Libya; runtime 1h 44m, directed by Ahmad Nader Galal, starring Ahmed El Sakka.
• Unidentified (Al Majhoula) Saudi thriller written and directed by Haifaa Al Mansour, starring Mila Al Zahrani as Nawal Al Saffan, a true-crime enthusiast determined to identify a teenage girl's body discovered in the desert; produced in partnership with Al Mansour Establishment with support from the Daw Initiative and Saudi Film Commission.

Quantifiable outcome

• Largest Arabic movie library with 2000+ titles representing 35% of all Arabic films ever produced

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Al Mansour EstablishmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 December 2025Rotana Studios partnered with Al Mansour Establishment to produce 'Unidentified', a Saudi thriller written and directed by Haifaa Al Mansour. The film was shot in Saudi Arabia in 2024 and received support from the Daw Initiative and Saudi Film Commission.
• Daw InitiativemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 December 2025Collaboration with Daw Initiative through the Saudi Film Commission for the production of 'Unidentified', supporting the growth of Saudi cinema and showcasing it on the global stage.
• Saudi Film CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 December 2025Collaboration with the Saudi Film Commission and Daw Initiative for 'Unidentified' film production, supporting Saudi filmmakers and the local film industry under Saudi Vision 2030.
• Cultural Development Fund (CDF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2025Rotana Studios signed a cooperation agreement with the Cultural Development Fund aimed at exploring investment and financing opportunities dedicated to enabling the growth of creative cultural sectors. The agreement seeks to create quality opportunities in films and entertainment content, enrich cultural movement, and open horizons for creators to showcase work on global platforms aligned with Saudi Vision 2030.
• stc GroupcoreTechnology or Integration · 27 February 2025stc Group signed an MOU with Rotana Media Group to provide cloud services, data hosting, and analytics capabilities. The collaboration supports investments in local Saudi content including advertising and branded product placement across Rotana's channels, with exclusive access to Rotana's media and streaming options for stc's premium customers.
• SARD (Miram Naoum)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2024Rotana Studios partnered with SARD (founded by Mariam Naoum in 2015) to launch the 'From Script to Studio' program supporting Saudi writers and filmmakers. The six-month program focuses on developing feature film screenplays and bringing them to production-ready stage, reflecting commitment to developing Arab talent.
• Synergy Media ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2024Rotana Studios released 'The Squadron' (Al Serb) in collaboration with Synergy Media Productions. The film represents an artistic work that enhances the position of Arab cinema on the international stage with high production quality and unprecedented scale.
• Rotana Music GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2024Rotana Studios and Rotana Music Group, the two sister companies, signed an MOU for cooperation to enhance creativity and diversity in art and music industry. The agreement aims to achieve development in art and media production, support creativity and artistic talents, and enhance artistic presence on Arab and global stage. It includes use of musical content, collaboration with talented artists, and sponsoring joint artistic productions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Image Nation: Abu Dhabi-headquartered film production and distribution company. Closely comparable as a Gulf-based, state-backed studio producing Arabic and international feature films, with similar co-production models and government partnerships.
• Synergy Media Productions: Egyptian production company and Rotana Studios' co-production partner on 'The Squadron' (Al Serb). Comparable as an Arab film production house operating across the region, often partnering with Rotana and competing for similar theatrical and licensing opportunities.
• MBC Studios: Saudi Arabia-based film and series production arm of MBC Group, producing premium Arabic content for theatrical and streaming release. Directly comparable as a regional film studio operating in the same Saudi/MENA production and distribution ecosystem, often competing for the same talent and platform deals.
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment: Dubai-based independent film distributor and producer specializing in Middle East theatrical releases. Comparable as a regional distributor/producer competing for the same theatrical slots, library licensing deals, and pan-Arab audience reach.
• Telfaz11: Saudi entertainment company producing films, series, and digital content for Arab audiences. Directly comparable as a Saudi-rooted production company competing for the same theatrical audiences, streaming deals, and Vision 2030 cultural-sector funding.
• Empire International: Pan-Arab film distribution and production company active across the MENA theatrical market. Comparable as a regional distributor and co-producer of Arabic feature films, often competing for the same Gulf theatrical windows and content rights.

Regional players

• Twofour54: Abu Dhabi media free zone and production hub supporting Arabic and international content creation. Comparable as a regional industry infrastructure provider and a potential production partner/competitor within the Gulf cultural ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Netflix MENA: Global streaming incumbent with substantial Arabic original content investment and regional subscribers. Comparable as a customer for Rotana's library and a high-budget competitor commissioning premium Arabic originals that compete for audience attention.
• Shahid (MBC Group): Leading Arabic streaming platform operated by MBC Group, a major buyer and co-producer of Arabic film and series content. Comparable as a strategic customer, distribution channel, and increasingly as a vertically integrated competitor that commissions original Arabic content.
• beIN Media Group: Qatari-based global sports and entertainment broadcaster with significant MENA film and series licensing activity. Comparable as a major regional buyer of Arabic content and a potential competitor for premium library rights and production talent.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RotanaStudios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rotana-studios

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rotana Studios