Cairo has been known as the Hollywood of the Arab world for a century, but with Egypt facing the worst economic crisis in its modern history, some say Saudi Arabia's patronage is more than just conquest.
-
Written by: Bassem Abu Al-Abbas/AFP, Cairo
Saudi donations flooded the cultural scene in Egypt, but the reception was mixed. Some welcome the new “cooperation” between two regional powers, while others fear a hostile Riyadh takeover.
In Cairo, historically the cultural capital of the Arab world, Egyptian Minister of Culture Nevin Al-Kilani recently hosted the head of the General Entertainment Authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turki Al-Sheikh.
The deep-pocketed Al Sheikh has emerged as a Medici-like patron of Egypt's cultural elite, courted by Cairo's top talent to produce a slew of upcoming films.
Illustration: Constance Chu
A new tripartite agreement between Al-Sheikh and Kilani and United Media Services – a multimedia conglomerate linked to state intelligence that owns much of Egypt's media and entertainment industry – will see “cooperation in a range of areas” including “theatre,” the Egyptian Ministry of Culture said, and “cinema.” And music.”
Cultural critic Magda Khairallah believes that this is another example of “Saudi Arabia’s desire to change the stereotype about its relationship with art.”
On Egyptian television, Al-Sheikh defended the agreement as beneficial for everyone.
He said: “Egypt is teeming with talent and professionals, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is witnessing a great renaissance.” “By complementing each other, we can make a great leap forward together.”
The conservative Gulf kingdom has moved away from its taboo reputation for several years, opening mixed-gender music festivals and cinemas, while relaxing social rules.
“But you can’t create an art scene overnight,” Khairallah said, and that’s where Egyptian talent comes into play.
For a century, Cairo has been known as the “Hollywood of the Arab World,” with its films hugely popular and its stars known throughout the region.
However, Khairallah said that with Egypt facing the worst economic crisis in its modern history, including in the media industry, Saudi benevolence is generating an unequal power dynamic represented more by acquisitions than by partnership.
“There is a difference between cooperation and financing; through cooperation, both sides create and produce art, but that is not what Saudi Arabia does,” Khairallah said. “They get our art, our stars and our music for a price.”
Indeed, Saudi Arabia's growing film festival circuit – part of the kingdom's plan to attract 30 million tourists a year by 2030 – is packed with Egyptian artists, actors and musicians.
But despite Riyadh's rise as a new cultural hub for Arab talent, all has not gone smoothly.
Last month, the first “Saudi-Egyptian Night” – a musical event at the Cairo Opera House – caused a stir among Egypt’s culture critics.
The evening was attended by Egyptian stars, including maestro Omar Khairat and singers Mohamed Mounir and Sherine Abdel Wahab, and was attended by Cairo stars and their actor, Turki Al-Sheikh, who was the guest of honor.
Hend Salama, who leads theater news coverage for Egyptian magazine Rose Al-Youssef, said there was “no respect” for the opera house as an institution.
“It is a symbol of Egyptian art, not a private theater,” she said. “The Saudi Entertainment Authority was solely responsible for the invitations and selection of celebrities. How can we call this cooperation?
Egyptian critic Mohamed Abdel Khaleq said the event also contradicts the Ministry of Culture's de facto decision to suspend all festivals and celebrations in solidarity with the Palestinians under Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip.
“We canceled the Cairo Film Festival and canceled the Arab Music Festival. what happened now? Did the massacres stop? Abdul Khaleq asked.
Riyadh is accelerating its charm offensive as part of de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's strategy to divert Saudi oil wealth into movies, sports, video games and tourism, while overseeing dramatic domestic social change.
In a rare move, the Kingdom has already granted Saudi citizenship to a number of celebrities, including Egyptian comedian Mohamed Henedy and talk show host Amr Adeeb.
The sheikh also announced his “Big Time” Fund for Arab Cinema, which is set to produce 10 Egyptian films this year.
The endeavor – worth four billion Egyptian pounds (US$86 million) – is a major boost to an industry that has a wealth of talent, but the economic landscape has hampered production capacity.
In the 1950s, when the industry was nationalized in the early days of the republic, Egypt was the third largest film producer in the world.
Now, despite producing three-quarters of Arab films, only 21 films will be released in 2022.
Abdel Khaleq said that while Saudi Arabia is trying to build “its own cultural archive, it is natural for it to rely on Egyptian artists and technicians for the sake of the Saudi artistic renaissance.”
This wave of productions funded by Saudi Arabia directly benefits Egyptian artists, including theater directors and actors who are now staging plays in the Kingdom.
However, Khairallah said this would also be a double-edged sword.
“Obtaining funding is wonderful, as long as it does not come with imposing ideas on the Egyptian artist,” she said. “Then it's just a way to exert control.”
Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Feedback containing offensive and profane language, personal attacks of any kind, or promotion will be removed and the user will be banned. The final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.
