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Saudi Actress Fights for Diverse Female Roles
7 Dec
Summary
- Reem Al Habib champions varied roles for actresses in Saudi Arabia.
- She found initial roles limiting, pushing for more complex characters.
- Al Habib is developing a new drama-action series for 2026.
Saudi actress Reem Al Habib is dedicated to broadening the scope of female characters in film and television within the Kingdom and internationally. She revealed that a lack of substantial roles nearly led her to leave acting, highlighting a significant need for more diverse opportunities. Al Habib pointed to recent projects, including the Shahid series 'Al Dariya' and the Netflix psychological thriller 'The Matchmaker,' as positive steps forward in portraying women beyond traditional archetypes.
Al Habib, a participant in Netflix's Saudi Future Filmmakers program, is currently developing an ambitious new series. She described it as a "crazy series" intended to be unlike anything previously seen in the region, blending drama and action elements. This project, which she will write and showrun, is planned for production in 2026. The show aims to offer a compelling narrative that challenges existing conventions.
The actress shared these insights during an appearance at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia. The festival, which concludes on December 13, serves as a platform for industry professionals to discuss and shape the future of filmmaking. Al Habib's work and upcoming projects signal a growing movement towards more multifaceted storytelling for women in Saudi cinema.
