Studio expertise transfer and closer cross-border production cooperation follow a partnership formalised at MIPCOM Cannes. The opening phase of Shams Production Hub, due to begin in Q1 2027, centres on five purpose-built sound stages.
CANNES, France: Sharjah Media City (Shams), a leading UAE freezone authority, and Origo Studios, one of Hungary’s leading film studio complexes, used MIPCOM Cannes to formalise a strategic partnership backing the development of Shams Production Hub in Sharjah, UAE.
Under the agreement, Origo Studios will deliver a three-phase training and knowledge-transfer programme so that the Shams team is prepared to run the facility to international standards. The training combines online sessions with hands-on learning at Origo Studios in Budapest and on-site guidance in Sharjah.
The programme covers studio operations, art department management, post-production, business development and sales, finance and production incentives, backlot operations, technical infrastructure, governance, and sustainable production practices.
Five purpose-built sound stages, each of approximately 1,710 square metres, will form Shams Production Hub. Q1 2027 is the scheduled date for the first phase to commence.
The agreement also rests on growing commercial links between Hungary and Sharjah. Hungarian businesses and investors have registered 67 companies with Shams to date, 31 of them with media-related activities.
Director General of Shams, H.E. Rashid Abdalla Al Obad, commented: “Our vision for the Shams Production Hub goes beyond developing world-class production infrastructure. We want to build the expertise, operational capabilities and industry relationships needed to support productions at every stage of their lifecycle. Our partnership with Origo Studios enables our team to learn from an established European studio environment and bring that knowledge to Sharjah, while strengthening connections between the UAE and international production markets. It reflects our commitment to developing a sustainable, globally connected media and creative ecosystem that creates opportunities for talent and businesses.”
CEO of Origo Studios, Dr. Márta Fekszi Horváth, commented: “We are pleased to partner with Sharjah Media City at an important stage in the development of the Shams Production Hub. Building a successful production ecosystem requires more than world-class facilities; it requires strong operational expertise, practical experience and a deep understanding of the production industry. Through this partnership, we look forward to sharing our knowledge and experience with the Shams team and supporting their journey towards establishing a production hub capable of serving local, regional and international productions. We also see strong potential for this partnership to develop further, with continued cooperation between our teams across operational and development matters.”
Subject to mutual agreement, further cooperation in studio development, technical expertise, knowledge exchange and potential international production opportunities rests on the foundation this agreement establishes.
