Jason Statham has shown his box office clout in the Middle East and North Africa once again with action picture Shelter.

The movie’s MENA distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment said Shelter took the number one slot across the region as it launched in cinemas there last week, to deliver a $2.23 million opening weekend.

The company – which co-released the title with longtime partner Kuwait National Cinema Company – said this represented the largest theatrical opening in the region for an independently produced title since the release of Statham’s A Working Man in April 2025. Both films were produced by Black Bear.

It also highlighted that the MENA debut outperformed several key international markets, opening ahead of China ($2.1 million), the UK ($1.3 million), and delivering approximately 40% of its U.S. opening haul ($5.5 million), underscoring the region’s growing influence in the global theatrical landscape.

The film was particularly successful in Saudi Arabia where it accounted for 34.5% of total nationwide admissions and 38% of total box office revenue during its opening weekend.

Across the weekend, Shelter drew 59,000 admissions in Saudi Arabia and generated $1 Million, with an average ticket price of $15.50, making it the biggest opening for an English-language title in Saudi Arabia since late September.

The film also topped the daily box office on its opening Wednesday, driven purely by midnight screenings, to outperform a wide slate of recent studio releases including Greenland 2, 28 Years Later: Bone Temple and Avatar: Fire and Ash.

““It’s been a period of real uncertainty for audiences and for the theatrical market, which makes this response especially meaningful,” said Front Row CEO Gianluca Chakra.

“At times like these, cinema as escapism becomes essential and Shelter clearly struck that chord. Jason Statham’s connection with audiences in this region is unmatched, and Shelter reinforces his position as the defining action star for MENA.”