My grandfather worked in the Egyptian film industry. In the days when films were shot on cans, he supplied the studios, arriving with the next reel when the cameras needed to keep rolling. From the time I was old enough to accompany him, I did.
That's where my journey in film production began, not in a boardroom, but on a working film set in Cairo, watching talented individuals create something out of nothing.
When I moved to London as a teenager to study film production, I wasn't sure what kind of producer I would become. What I did know was that I wanted to create meaningful work and was willing to travel anywhere in the world to achieve that.
After university, I spent a few years at The Bank, one of the oldest ad agencies in London, before moving to Dubai. There, I joined Filmworks, one of the largest commercial production companies in the region, where I learned the intricacies of large-scale film production. My journey continued when WPP brought me in as Head of Production at Mindshare, where I managed campaigns across the Gulf for global brands.
In 2014, I founded Samurai Productions in Qatar, recognizing the market's need for experienced producers who could efficiently handle international shoots. Many production companies lacked this expertise, so we filled that gap, collaborating with major global brands on productions that demanded in-depth knowledge of the market, culture, language, and on-the-ground logistics.
By 2017, I expanded Samurai Productions to London, where my university friend and business partner, Kamal Patel, joined me. We've been building our presence here ever since, managing productions across the UK and in over 28 countries across EMEA, Africa, and beyond.
Our clients include Qatar Airways, JLR, PepsiCo, Al Jazeera, FIFA+, Vogue, COP27, CNN, and Prime Video, with projects spanning South Africa, Egypt, Romania, Qatar, Morocco, Italy, France, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, the Maldives, India, and the list continues to grow.
The name Samurai has always signified one thing: total commitment to the task at hand, no half measures, no excuses. That principle has remained unchanged since my early days in Cairo.
Karim Areida, Producer & Line Producer | Founder, Samurai Productions London · Est. 2014 Fluent in English and Arabic
Have a production coming up? Reach out to Karim Areida at Samurai Productions for assistance. You can contact us at karim@samuraiproductions.com or call +44 7748 477768. We respond within 24 hours.