The Hakawati — Meridian Pictures exclusive partnership aims to bring Hollywood talent to the Saudi entertainment sector and develop stories for regional and international audiences. The partnership is aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and its goal to create a vibrant society that benefits from high-quality entertainment, knowledge transfer and job creation in ways that contribute to the Kingdom’s strong economic future. The alliance combines the expertise of Eric Paquette, a renowned Hollywood producer and longtime studio executive, with Hakawati Entertainment and its exceptional content production track record in Saudi Arabia. This partnership’s primary focus will be on the development, production and distribution of original content for both film and television. “Saudi Arabia has one of the world’s youngest populations, with approximately 50 percent of its population under the age of 25, and this is our target audience. With the goal of 2,600 movie theaters by 2030, our partnership will help the region become the Middle East’s film powerhouse,” said Eric Paquette, CEO of Meridian Pictures. “We are thrilled to unveil this unique cooperation platform in the Kingdom that will bring Hollywood talent and expertise here to foster the local media industry and culture,” said Redha Alhaidar, Hakawati Entertainment Chairman. Osama Alkhurayji, Hakawati Entertainment CEO, added, “We look forward to the expedited change and new transformations this partnership will bring to the Saudi film and TV industry. It is an exciting time for us at Hakawati Entertainment, with this partnership facilitating the growth of the sector and cementing our role in its future.” Meridian Pictures is a multi-platform entertainment company focused on developing and producing high-concept motion picture and television content. Meridian Pictures was founded by Paquette in 2020 after serving the last 20 years as a senior executive at both MGM and Sony Pictures. Hakawati Entertainment is a leading film and television production and literary management company based in Saudi Arabia. Hakawati Entertainment creates content and produces shows that resonate across all Arabic-speaking audiences, all around the globe. Founded in 2020 by a team of successful entrepreneurs and industry experts, it represents an established driving force in Saudi Arabia’s evolving media and cultural space. Hakawati Entertainment provides expertise and focus with proven, repeatable successes, brought on by tapping into local talent, as well as powerful and authentic storytelling. Hakawati Entertainment’s immediate goal is to produce high-quality content that competes in the global film and TV industry. https://www.meridianpictures.com/ https://hakawati.co/ Source: Hakawati Entertainment