Female Saudi directors Haifaa Al-Mansour and Shahad Ameen brought a message to the Venice Film Festival along with their movies: Women must be seen and heard.
Mansour’s “The Perfect Candidate” is one of two films by female directors out of 21 competing for the festival’s Golden Lion award, telling the story of a woman doctor facing gender-based challenges while running for municipal council.
Ameen’s “Scales,” which screened out of competition, focuses on a young girl surviving against superstitious villagers who believe she is a curse. Both directors hope their films will convey a message of empowerment at a time when Saudi Arabia has been easing male guardianship rules. “Showing a lead female character, it is indirectly empowering women,” Mansour said.
“The one who will make most money in this film is the girl, she is not a supporting role, she is the main role. You invest in her journey, love her and root for her that is what is very important for a conservative audience to see.”
The start of Mansour’s film reflects the changes in the Kingdom, with protagonist Maryam driving her car to work.
Asked what she wanted Saudi female audiences to take away from the film, Mansour, also known for the English-language film “Mary Shelley,” said: “That it is about time to put themselves out there and not to be afraid of failure or to be judged.
“We come from a very traditional society so even with the liberties, like ... (women) driving is legal but not a lot of women drive because it is not accepted still socially. So it is very important for women ... to take advantage of the new freedoms given to them because that is ... how to move forward.”
In “Scales,” Hayat has been saved by her father from a village tradition of families sacrificing their daughters to sea creatures, making her an outcast.
Mansour has previously described how she at times had to hide in a van while directing her 2012 film “Wadjda” about a young Saudi girl determined to buy a bicycle.
“It’s changed a lot, I don’t have to be in the van anymore ... and accessibility ... we shot in really remote areas and we were able to shoot,” she said.
Saudi women directors bring empowerment message to Venice
Saudi women directors bring empowerment message to Venice
- “Showing a lead female character, it is indirectly empowering women,” Mansour said
Pakistan disburses record $9.2 billion agricultural loans in FY25, central bank says
- State Bank says farm lending rose 16 percent year-on-year to Rs2.58 trillion
- Inflation eased to 5.8 percent in January as GDP growth hits 3.7 percent in Q1 FY26
KARACHI: Pakistan disbursed a record Rs2.58 trillion ($9.2 billion) in agricultural loans during fiscal year 2024–25, a 16 percent increase from the previous year, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmad said on Thursday while chairing a meeting of the Agricultural Credit Advisory Committee (ACAC).
Agricultural financing is considered critical to Pakistan’s rural economy, where farming contributes nearly one-fifth of GDP and employs a large share of the workforce. The government has repeatedly emphasized expanding credit access to small farmers as part of broader efforts to boost productivity, stabilize food supply and support economic recovery under an IMF-backed reform program.
According to official data shared at the meeting, agricultural credit disbursement reached Rs2.58 trillion in FY25, marking a record high. In the first half of FY26 alone, banks disbursed Rs1,412 billion in agricultural loans, while the number of borrowers increased to 2.97 million.
“During fiscal year 2025, record agricultural loans of Rs2.58 trillion were disbursed, reflecting an annual growth of 16 percent,” the State Bank governor said, according to a statement issued after the meeting.
He added that Pakistan had regained macroeconomic stability and that the economy was moving toward sustainable growth.
The governor said GDP growth in the first quarter of FY26 stood at 3.7 percent, while full-year growth was projected between 3.75 percent and 4.75 percent.
He also noted that headline inflation had declined to 5.8 percent in January 2026.
The committee reviewed measures to further expand credit access, including greater use of the central bank’s Zarkhez-e scheme to facilitate agricultural lending. Members also discussed promoting electronic warehouse receipt financing to enhance post-harvest liquidity and reduce distress sales of crops.
The statement said the purpose of electronic warehouse receipt financing was to “reduce forced sales of crops and strengthen linkages within the agricultural market.”
Agricultural lending has been a focus of Pakistan’s financial inclusion strategy, particularly as policymakers seek to improve rural incomes, stabilize food prices and strengthen export-oriented crop production amid broader economic reforms.
