Seven Dogs, a Saudi action thriller about a global crime syndicate trafficking a deadly new drug called Pink Lady throughout the Middle East (starring Monica Bellucci as Giulia Leoni, the head of the gang’s distribution network), was an impressive first-frame box office success in the Middle East and North Africa, making it the highest-grossing local film in history for an Arabic film.
The catchy action film, directed by Belgian-Moroccan director duo Adil El Arbi and Bilal Fallah, whose 2020 blockbuster Bad Boys for Life was the highest-grossing film in the Bad Boys series, drew Arabian audiences in droves over the weekend of May 28-31 during the Eid Islamic holiday, according to statistics from ComScore and other box office aggregators.
Saudi Arabia led the charge for “7 Dogs” with over 200,000 attendees, followed by Egypt with over 720,000, while the UAE attracted around 87,000 viewers to the high-octane thriller. “Seven Dogs” sold approximately 91,000 additional tickets in Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and Lebanon, “underscoring the unprecedented regional demand for this action spectacle and its status as a major theatrical event,” the statement said.
The number from the first frame of Saudi Arabia’s “Seven Dogs” is comparable to the number of moviegoers who flocked to the hit movie “Golden Rush” in July 2025, the bizarre heist movie that beat out global blockbusters “Jurassic World: Rebirth” and “F1: The Movie.”
The release of “Seven Dogs” follows the debacle of “Desert Warrior,” starring Anthony Mackie, which grossed a whopping $150 million in Saudi Arabia, and more recently grossed just $700,000 in the U.S. and the entire Arab world in two weeks after its April 23 release.
In contrast, Saudi Arabia’s “Seven Dogs” drew more than three times as many admissions as “The Back Room,” had an opening box office gross more than four times that of “Obsession,” and easily surpassed two low-budget American horror films that are becoming global box office sensations.
“7 Dogs” was filmed in the desert outside Riyadh earlier this year and had an official budget of $40 million, which is thought to have ballooned to $70 million. The local blockbuster’s pre-release claim to fame was that Seven Dogs won the Guinness World Record for the “Greatest Stunt Explosion in Film History,” beating previous record holders No Time to Die (2021) and Specter (2015).
Starring Arabian box office icons Karim Abdel Aziz and Ahmed Ezz and featuring a global ensemble cast including Monica Bellucci as well as Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Max Huang, Tara Emad, Sandi Vera, Nasser Alkasabi and Saeed Raghab, the film is available across the region in IMAX, Dolby Cinema, 4DX and other premium large formats.
“Seven Dogs,” based on a story by Turki Alalshik, chairman of the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority (GEA), and a screenplay by Mohamed Eldaba, follows elite Interpol agent Khalid al-Azzazi after he successfully captures Ghali Abu Dawood, the leader of a global secret crime syndicate known as “Seven Dogs.”
A year later, the Seven Dogs syndicate resurfaces and “smuggling a powerful new drug called Pink Lady across the Middle East, forces Khalid to form an uneasy alliance with Ghali, who holds the key to dismantling the network from within,” the synopsis reads. “Their covert missions span multiple international cities, creating an uneasy partnership driven by espionage, competition, and survival,” it added.
Produced by Sela Studios and sponsored by GEA and Riyadh Season, 7 Dogs was shot entirely in Riyadh, making it the first full-length feature to be produced entirely at the Saudi capital’s newly built Al Hisn Big Time Studios. Riyadh has transformed into a global hub, including Mumbai, Shanghai, and other major international capitals.
While “Seven Dogs” has undoubtedly won the hearts of local audiences, experts say it’s doubtful the frothy action film will ultimately turn a profit. Even if they were able to travel, it would be difficult to achieve profits. There are currently no international distributors.
