Key facts
- The Red Sea Film Festival's sixth edition, scheduled for December, has been cancelled.
- Organizers cited logistical considerations for the cancellation.
- The festival is now scheduled to return in the final quarter of 2027.
- This is the second major international event Saudi Arabia has lost this year due to regional conflicts.
- Formula One also cancelled the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, scheduled for April.
- The Houthis have escalated attacks on Saudi cities and oil infrastructure.
The Red Sea Film Festival has cancelled its sixth edition, which was slated to run in Jeddah from December 3 to 12. Organizers cited logistical considerations for the decision, stating the event would return in the final quarter of 2027 with a renewed vision. This marks the second significant international event Saudi Arabia has had to cancel this year, as regional conflicts increasingly disrupt the kingdom's ambitions to become a global entertainment and tourism hub.
The festival's cancellation comes amid escalating conflicts, including the Israeli-US war on Iran and Saudi Arabia's ongoing conflict with the Houthis in neighboring Yemen. The Houthis have targeted Saudi cities, oil infrastructure, and Red Sea oil shipments. Formula One also cancelled the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, originally scheduled for April 17-19 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, due to the fallout from the regional wars.