The promotional video of China's animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" attracted much attention from visitors to the 2025 Saudi Media Forum held in Riyadh, with attending officials and filmmakers anticipating the film will be released in Saudi Arabia and help strengthen bilateral cultural ties.
Promotional video of "Ne Zha 2" was showed at the Future of Media Exhibition of the 2025 Saudi Media Forum, which ran from Wednesday to Friday in the capital of Saudi Arabia, and is the largest professional media forum in the Middle East
The short video presented in a special exhibition area of China Media Group (CMG) amazed a wide range of visitors, winning recognition from government officials and filmmakers alike.
"I think the movie is a great example for Chinese sci-techs and culture going overseas in the future. I hope to watch the film in the Middle East soon and I also hope to see more and more Chinese cultural products go overseas," said Chang Hua, Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
"I watched the promotional video, which is only a fraction of the film, but it proves that the film is of high standards in terms of character design, sound, animation, and color control. From both an artistic and technical perspective, the film is a huge success. But as I have mentioned, achieving such significant progress is not surprising, as China is leading in many areas," said a Saudi director.
Amazed by the exquisite promotional video, Turki bin Abdullah Al-Shabanah, former Minister of Media of Saudi Arabia, said he hopes "Ne Zha 2" can be released in the country as soon as possible and he is willing to help with communication and negotiations related to the animated movie's release.
"Ne Zha 2" has broken multiple box office records in rapid succession. It is the first Asian film to surpass a total box office of 10 billion yuan and on Tuesday, it also became the highest-grossing animated film of all time globally.
Starting from Feb 13, the film has been released worldwide in countries like Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Egypt, Japan, and South Korea.
Promotional video of Ne Zha 2 screened at Saudi Media Forum
Promotional video of Ne Zha 2 screened at Saudi Media Forum
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
