Studio know-how will change hands and cross-border production cooperation will grow stronger under a partnership formalised at MIPCOM Cannes. Five purpose-built sound stages feature in the first phase of Shams Production Hub, which is scheduled to commence in Q1 2027.
CANNES, France: To support how Shams Production Hub takes shape in Sharjah, UAE, a strategic partnership was formalised at MIPCOM Cannes between Sharjah Media City (Shams), a leading UAE freezone authority, and Origo Studios, counted among Hungary’s leading film studio complexes.
A three-phase training and knowledge-transfer programme falls to Origo Studios under the terms agreed, preparing the Shams team to run the facility to international standards. Participants will take part in online sessions, travel for hands-on learning at Origo Studios in Budapest, and receive on-site guidance in Sharjah.
Ground covered by the programme runs from studio operations, art department management, post-production, business development and sales to finance and production incentives, backlot operations, technical infrastructure, governance and sustainable production practices.
At Shams Production Hub, five purpose-built sound stages are planned, each one measuring approximately 1,710 square metres. Q1 2027 is when the first phase is scheduled to commence.
Growing business ties between Hungary and Sharjah give the partnership further foundation. Hungarian businesses and investors account for 67 companies registered with Shams today, 31 of them carrying media-related activities.
This was the comment of H.E. Rashid Abdalla Al Obad, Director General of Shams: “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.”
Dr. Márta Fekszi Horváth, CEO of Origo Studios, offered this response: “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.”
Further cooperation now has a base to build on, covering studio development, technical expertise, knowledge exchange and potential international production opportunities, subject to mutual agreement.
