The production wing of MBC Group, O3 Productions, has announced on Sunday a new partnership deal with Abu Dhabi’s Image Nation to produce films and TV shows for the Saudi market, according to an official statement on their website.

The first project they will produce and finance together will be an Arabic-language feature film based on Ibraheem Abbas’s sci-fi novel “HWJN.” The two companies also have plans for a TV spinoff of “The Delusionists,” with further details to be announced at a later date.

“As O3, this project is a landmark one for us as we are embarking on an exciting journey into an innovative and fresh genre of Saudi drama based on a bestseller novel and its exciting world created by the pioneer work of Yatakhayaloon team,” said Fadi Ismael, group director of O3 Productions, in a statement announcing the deal.

“We are happy that we are not alone in such a venture but joined forces with Image Nation working closely with its team to produce what we hope will lead to a higher quality of captivating storytelling and production values in film and TV drama in this project and beyond,” he said.

Ismael appeared on a panel this week in Saudi’s first pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival, where he referred to the changes taking place in the country’s film industry as a “brave new world.”