Hobal (film)

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Hobal
Directed byAbdulaziz Alshlahei
Written byMufarrij Almajfel
Produced bySharif Almajali
StarringMeshal Almutairi
Mila Alzahrani
Ibrahim Al-Hsawi
Motreb Fawaz
Abdulrahman Abdullah
Drian Aldrian
Hamdy Alfredi
Reem Fahad
Noura Alhamedi
CinematographyMahmoud Youssef
Edited byIhab Gohar
Music by Suad Bushnaq
Production
companies
Shaf Studios
Film Clinic
Peninsula Pictures Group
Distributed byQanwat Group
Release dates
Running time
116 minutes [a]
CountrySaudi Arabia
LanguageArabic

Hobal is a 2024 Saudi Arabian drama film directed by Abdulaziz Alshlahei. The film is set in the 1990s in Saudi Arabia as its plot follows a Saudi family who are following instructions from their grandfather to remain confined in the desert.

Contents

The film had its world premiere at the Red Sea International Film Festival on 7 December 2024, and was released theatrically in Saudi Arabia on 2 January 2025.

Cast

Production

Hobal was produced by Shaf Studios, alongside Mohamed Hefzi's Film Clinic and Peninsula Pictures Group. The film was produced by Sharif Almajali with Abdulaziz Alshlahei, Mofarij Almujfel, Mohamed Al Turki, and Riyadh Alzamil serving as executive producers. The film was supported by the Daw’ Film Competition, the Saudi Film Commission, the Quality of Life Program, and NEOM. [4]

Filming began on Bajdah Studios and the Red Sea coast in Tabuk in September 2023. The crew has been thinking about locations on the film since 2018, before deciding on NEOM, and specifically Bajdah. [5]

Release

Hobal had its world premiere at the Red Sea International Film Festival on 7 December 2024. [6] The film was released theatrically in Saudi Arabia on 2 January 2025 though Qanwat Group. [6] [4] Following the commercial success of the film in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, the film will release in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, and Germany in the first phase, and the rest of the other countries in the second phase. [7] The film was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 10 October 2025. [2] [3]

Note

  1. ↑ Sources vary on the film's runtime. The Red Sea International Film Festival list the runtime as 111 minutes, [1] while the British Board of Film Classification lists it as 116 minutes. [2] However, the Irish Film Classification Office lists it as 156 minutes. [3]

References

  1. ↑ "HOBAL". Red Sea International Film Festival . Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Hobal (12A)". British Board of Film Classification . 2 October 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Hobal (2025)". Irish Film Classification Office . 3 October 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  4. 1 2 Vivarelli, Nick (10 February 2025). "Anti-Patriarchy Saudi Drama 'Hobal' Beats Hollywood Titles, Becoming Standout Local Hit". Variety . Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  5. ↑ Vivarelli, Nick (17 July 2023). "NEOM Production Hub to Host Shoot of Saudi Director Abdulaziz Alshlahei's 'Hobal' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  6. 1 2 "Hobal.. A Saudi film shines at the Red Sea Film Festival and this is its release date". Sbisiali News Portal. 20 November 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  7. ↑ "Following the box office success of the movie Hobal in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, we embark on a new journey around the world. In the first phase, the movie Hobal will be shown in cinemas in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, and Germany. In the second phase, it will be shown in the remaining countries". Instagram . 25 August 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
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