Despite inevitable teething problems, outside accusations of whitewashing and the rise of the omicron variant, the ten-day December festival survived its inaugural edition intact and solidified its status as one of the main destinations for Arab cinema in the wake of Dubai’s demise as a festival hub. For the first time ever, Saudi Arabia screened diverse of Arab and international films, all uncensored and with a strong showing for female-directed features, in front of sizeable audiences. Mo al-Turki tapped into his Hollywood contacts to help secure key stars to walk the red carpet, while Dubai Film Festival alumni Antoine and Shivani ensured industry credibility.