00:01The Red Sea International Film Festival was supposed to start in December in the Saudi
00:06Arabian city of Jeddah, but the Foundation organizing the festival announced on Monday
00:11that the event would be postponed to the fourth quarter of 2027. Officially, the reason cited for
00:19the postponement was the logistical effort and timing involved in staging the festival's sixth
00:24edition. But the announcement coincides with the deterioration in the security situation in the
00:30region. Over the past days, Saudi Arabia has faced repeated attacks from the Iranian-backed
00:37Houthi rebels in Yemen. The rebels have also gained control over the Bab el-Mandev Strait,
00:43making it more difficult for Saudi Arabia to export its oil via this crucial international
00:48shipping route. The Red Sea Film Festival is one of Saudi Arabia's most prominent cultural festivals,
00:55drawing filmmakers and actors from all over the world to Jeddah.
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