Movie

Lion of the Desert

“He was a man of honor in a war without any.”

★ 7.3(201)19812h 53m

Lion of the Desert is available to rent or buy on Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies in Saudi Arabia. It isn't on a subscription streaming service there yet. Availability checked 24 July 2026.

Where to watch Lion of the Desert

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

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Good to know

Director: Moustapha Akkad
Release date: 1981-04-17
Runtime: 2h 53m
Language: Arabic
Box office: $1,502,136
Budget: $35,000,000
Status: Released
Country: Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Studio: Falcon International Productions

Lion of the Desert — trailer

About Lion of the Desert

Lion of the Desert is a 1981 movie in the History, War and Drama genres, directed by Moustapha Akkad, starring Anthony Quinn, Oliver Reed and Irene Papas. It has a runtime of 2 hours 53 minutes. It holds an average rating of 7.3/10 from 201 viewers. Below you can see where to watch Lion of the Desert in Saudi Arabia — across streaming, rental and purchase options — along with the full cast, trailer and viewer reviews.

Synopsis

Resistance leader Omar Mukhtar opposes Italian colonization before World War II. The brutal guerrilla war against Italian General Rodolfo Graziani and the Fascist forces of Benito Mussolini highlights the struggle for Libyan independence and the harsh tactics utilised by the colonisers.

Cast

Anthony Quinn

Omar al-Mukhtar

Oliver Reed

General Rodolfo Graziani

Irene Papas

Mabrouka

Raf Vallone

Colonel Diodiece

Rod Steiger

Benito Mussolini

John Gielgud

Sharif El Gariani

Andrew Keir

Salem

Gastone Moschin

Major Tomelli

Stefano Patrizi

Lieutenant Sandrini

Adolfo Lastretti

Colonel Sarsani

Sky du Mont

Prince Amadeo

Şahin Çelik

Prince Amadeo (voice)

Themes & keywords

guerrilla warfarelibyaafricaresistanceworld war iiindependence movementbased on true storybenito mussolinihistorical drama1920s1930santi-colonialismhistorical epicmaghrebomar al-mokhtar

Frequently asked questions

Where can I watch Lion of the Desert in Saudi Arabia?+

In Saudi Arabia, Lion of the Desert is available to rent or buy on Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. It isn't on a subscription streaming service there right now.

Is Lion of the Desert on Netflix?+

Lion of the Desert is not on Netflix in Saudi Arabia right now.

How long is Lion of the Desert?+

Lion of the Desert has a runtime of 2 hours 53 minutes (173 minutes).

Who stars in Lion of the Desert?+

Lion of the Desert stars Anthony Quinn, Oliver Reed, Irene Papas, Raf Vallone and Rod Steiger.

When did Lion of the Desert come out?+

Lion of the Desert is a 1981 movie directed by Moustapha Akkad.

What genre is Lion of the Desert?+

Lion of the Desert is History, War and Drama film.

Who directed Lion of the Desert?+

Lion of the Desert was directed by Moustapha Akkad.