MBC Studios, which is producing the show, said it has already started filming in NEOM, where three purpose-built sets were constructed for the show.

The Saudi city of NEOM has become a production set for an upcoming fantasy adventure series about warring witch clans.

Called the “Rise of the Witches,” the show is said to have the biggest special effects budget for a Saudi production to date. It is based on best-selling mythology books by Osamah Almuslim.

In 2017, Saudi Arabia lifted a three-decade ban on cinemas across the Kingdom. Since then, the Gulf country has been attracting major production houses to become a global film hub.

The Kingdom has been investing in NEOM in particular to become an integrated media hub. Last year, British filmmaker Rupert Wyatt, who directed the Rise of the Planet of the Apes, was announced to be shooting a major production in the futuristic Saudi city.

Other Saudi locations that have been used for film production include AlUla and the Islamic city of Makkah.