Film AlUla Acting Executive Director Zaid Shaker Says Festival Presence Is Proof of the Saudi Agency’s ‘Ambitions and Capabilities’
variety.comRafa Sales Ross Guest Contributor Zaid Shaker is excited about what lies ahead. The new Acting Executive Director of Film AlUla, who takes over the role from Charlene Deleon-Jones in an interim capacity, is stepping in with the desire to build upon AlUla’s ambition to become a major global hub for film production and creative industries in Northwest Arabia. “We are on the cusp of some major deals for projects and in discussions with studios and productions on their upcoming plans that we’ll be announcing in due course,” Shaker told Variety when asked about what can be expected of his tenure in the position. “We’re also going to continue supporting film through our initiatives, which include a strategic partnership with the Red Sea Film Fund to jointly provide grants, offering filmmakers from the MENA region with financial production support and the opportunity to complete a portion of filming in AlUla.” Before stepping into his current role, Shaker played a crucial role in shaping Film AlUla’s strategic framework.
As the head of strategy and performance management, the executive oversaw the agency’s strategic performance in crafting initiatives to optimize both operational efficiency and long-term outcomes.
He brings to the role 20 years of experience spanning film, tourism and the creative industries, having worked for organizations such as PwC, Chemonics, Abt Associates, Global Communities, and Jordan’s Royal Film Commission. “When the opportunity arose to step up into this role, I was excited to be able to contribute to the direction of the organization,” the exec continued. “It’s such a landmark moment for us, with the studios we’ve built about to open later this year.” This speaks to perhaps the most important.
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