Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – The Ministry of Culture participates in the activities of the fifth session of the Gulf Film Festival.
Hosted by the Sultanate of Oman from November 16 to 19, 2025, the film features four Emirati films that highlight the development of the UAE’s film industry and its pioneering role in the Gulf cultural landscape.
Asmaa Al Hammadi, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for National Identity and Arts, stressed that the cinema sector represents a fundamental pillar of the creative economy and an effective tool in strengthening the country’s cultural identity.
She pointed out that participation in this festival comes within the framework of the Ministry of Culture’s commitment to supporting Emirati filmmakers and celebrating their achievements.
The list of participating films from the UAE includes the horror film “Hoba” by director Majid Al Ansari.
The film “Eid is Two Eids” by director Maitha Al Awadhi is a joint Emirati-Saudi comedy.
In addition to the film “Zamjara” by director Alawiya Thani, which deals with man’s struggle with his ambitions within a human dramatic framework.
The movie “The Christmas Girl” by director Badr Mohamed, which takes place within a dramatic comedy framework.
In its current session, the festival honors Emirati director, screenwriter and producer Abdullah Hassan Ahmed, in appreciation of his long career in supporting the national film industry and his qualitative contributions to establishing the Emirati film movement and bringing it to the global stage.
Abdullah Hassan is considered one of the most prominent pioneers of Emirati cinema, as he presented more than twelve short films between 2001 and 2013.
During his distinguished artistic career, he won many awards.
In addition to his recent participation in the movie “Rituals of Water, Mountain and Light”.
Which includes a selection of the most prominent Emirati cinema productions over the past fifteen years.
Distinctive event
It is worth noting that the Gulf Film Festival is one of the most prominent joint cultural festivals among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
It is held every two years with the aim of promoting cultural and artistic exchange and supporting the film industry in the region.
The festival includes cinematic screenings of a group of feature and short documentary films.
In addition to seminars, workshops and dialogues with leading filmmakers.
The Ministry of Culture’s participation in this session comes as an extension of its pioneering role in supporting Gulf cinema.
It is noteworthy that Abu Dhabi hosted the third session of the festival in 2016.
