Stellan made the announcement at a dusty development site near 6th of October City, saying the project would cost E£8.6 billion (about €160 million) and be built with Egyptian partners. The announcement immediately put a new figure on the country’s effort to attract international productions and keep more film work inside Egypt.
The 89-hectare (220-acre) campus, to be operated by the newly formed Saffron Gate Studios, is planned to include eight sound stages, production workshops, editing rooms and accommodation for visiting crews. The company says it expects construction to take three years, with the first productions scheduled for 2029.
A bet on local production
“Egypt has the people and the stories; now we want to build a place where a production can do nearly everything without sending work abroad,” Stellan told reporters. He said he would provide 20% of the project’s financing through a private investment vehicle, but did not disclose its name or the size of his personal contribution.
Saffron Gate says Egyptian investors will provide 60% of the capital, with the remainder expected from a commercial loan. Thanuja An, a Cairo-based media-finance analyst, said the financing plan was ambitious but still depended on signed commitments, not a public announcement. “The hard test will be whether the partners put the money into the ground on schedule,” she said.
The developers forecast 850 permanent jobs once the campus is fully active and about 2,400 temporary construction roles. Those numbers include technicians, carpenters, set builders, accountants and catering staff, according to the company. It has not yet released a breakdown of expected wages or said how many positions it plans to reserve for new entrants.
A studio complex is only an industry if local crews get paid to use it.
Thanuja An, media-finance analyst
Permits and bookings remain
Egypt has a long-established screen industry, but large international productions often bring equipment and specialist crews from abroad. Bernd A. List, a consultant who tracks film-production costs in the region, said a campus with reliable stages could help local suppliers win repeat work. He cautioned that the project would need a steady flow of bookings to cover its running costs.
The company says it has applied for planning and utility approvals and expects a decision before the end of the year. A spokesperson for the local development authority, whose name was not provided at the event, said the application was under technical review. Saffron Gate said it was not seeking a special tax exemption, though it may apply for incentives available to qualifying investors.
Stellan said preliminary talks had taken place with three international production companies, but none had signed a contract. The studio operator expects to earn revenue from stage rentals, equipment hire and post-production services, and says it is preparing a rate card for Egyptian producers as well as overseas clients.
Uriah Ledner, a set-construction supervisor who attended the announcement, said the promise of year-round work mattered more to local tradespeople than a single large production. He said several firms had asked Saffron Gate about supplier registration, but the company has not opened its procurement process.
The developers plan to publish a detailed site schedule and financing update in January. Until then, the announced budget, job totals and opening date remain company forecasts; the next visible test will be whether preparatory work begins after the permits are settled.
