SPI Executive Chair Moderates Panel on Building Production Ecosystems in the MENA Region, Following Announcement of the Qatar Screen Production Incentive

Last month, Olsberg·SPI Executive Chair, Jonathan Olsberg, moderated an expert panel as part of the Film Committee at Media City Qatar’s (Film Committee) inaugural Industry Days programme at the Doha Film Festival 2025. The programme was kicked off with the announcement of the Qatar Screen Production Incentive (QSPI), which SPI helped develop.

The Film Committee, chaired by H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, announced the launch of their new incentive on the first day of the Industry Days programme. SPI contributed to developing the incentive framework and ensuring alignment with global best practice.

The topic of incentives featured in Jonathan’s panel discussion, which included Andrew Smith (Pinewood Studios), Mohannad Al Bakri (The Royal Film Commission – Jordan), Bavi Yassin (Kurdistan Film Commission), and George David (Film Committee at Media City Qatar). The panel discussed how the MENA region is building world-class production ecosystems, delving into the power of infrastructure, incentives, and regional collaboration in attracting international productions — and positioning the MENA region as one of the most exciting frontiers in global filmmaking.

The QSPI, to be administered by the Film Committee, was further supported by partners including Sony, Miramax, NEON, Parrot Analytics and Company 3, all of which announced new regional operations in Doha during the Film Committee’s Industry Days.

For more information on this work, please contact SPI Senior Research Analyst, Emma Openshaw on emma@o-spi.com

More on SPI’s Production Incentive Design and Development services here.