Egypt–Saudi Writers’ Room Irth Launches at Red Sea Intl Film Festival

At this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival, a cross-border writers’ room quietly took shape. Irth — co-founded by producer Ahmed Badawy and screenwriter-producer Haitham Dabbour — was launched as the first shared writers’ room connecting Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

The company focuses on developing and writing drama for both markets, spanning films, series and other audiovisual formats. Irth says it will work with Arab drama-makers who have established track records on commercially and critically recognised projects, including works that have received international awards.

Its aim is to cultivate new Arab stories by supporting distinct writing voices and creating a shared creative space for screenwriters across the two countries. Dabbour noted strong interest from industry partners and writers, presenting the venture as a move toward deeper collaboration in Arab screenwriting.

Irth’s first projects — now in active production — will be announced in the coming days at the festival’s industry market.