The Red Sea Film Foundation has canceled the 2026 edition of the Red Sea Film Festival, one of the Arab world’s most prominent film events and markets. The sixth edition had been scheduled to run in Jeddah from December 3 to 12, but has now been postponed to the fourth quarter of 2027.
In its announcement, the foundation said the decision followed a comprehensive review of several factors relating to the timing of the next edition, including the logistical requirements involved in staging an event of this scale internationally. The festival will return with what the foundation described as a renewed vision and a programme that continues to celebrate cinema and filmmakers from Saudi Arabia, the region and around the world.
While the official statement points to logistics, the cancellation comes as Saudi Arabia faces a sharp escalation in its conflict with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have targeted several Saudi cities. Just last week, Saudi officials said they had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone near Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, located roughly 50 miles from Jeddah.
The Houthis have also been targeting oil production infrastructure and shipments along the Red Sea. The decision is believed to have been made by the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation in coordination with Saudi Culture Minister Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan. The broader Gulf region has also been under strain since a U.S.-Israeli-Iran conflict began following airstrikes on February 28, which has drawn in retaliatory strikes across neighbouring territories and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Even with the main festival on pause, the Red Sea Film Foundation says its year-round programming will continue through the Red Sea Fund and Red Sea Labs. Starting in November 2026, the foundation also plans to launch year-round programming at Culture Square in Historic Jeddah. Further details, including information on refunds for film submissions and accreditation, are expected to be shared on the festival’s website in the coming weeks.
The Red Sea International Film Festival was established in 2019, with its first edition delayed to 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It launched two years after Saudi Arabia lifted its 35-year ban on commercial movie theatres and has since grown into a cornerstone of the country’s push to become a major international film and television hub. Last year’s fifth edition was not without its own disruptions, with heavy rainfall and flooding in Jeddah forcing organisers to cancel a full day of screenings and events, including a keynote conversation with director Darren Aronofsky.
The uncertainty around Red Sea’s 2026 edition comes as Dubai’s own film festival prepares for a return after a decade-long hiatus. The Dubai International Film Festival is set to relaunch on December 8, 2027, organised under the Dubai Films and Games Commission. Meanwhile, Qatar’s Doha Film Festival is continuing with plans for its second edition, running from November 19 to 27 this year.
With its sixth edition now pushed to late 2027, the Red Sea Film Festival’s pause marks a significant gap for one of the region’s key gathering points for international cinema, even as neighbouring festivals in Dubai and Doha continue moving forward with their own plans.
