Saudi Arabia saw the opening of its second cinema – a four screen VOX Cinemas multiplex with a total seating capacity of 330. The cinema opened to the public on Friday 4th May 2018.
The new cinema – located at Riyadh Park Mall– comes two weeks after the kingdom’s first public cinema screening in Saudi Arabia.
“Tonight’s cinema opening represents another historic moment in the transformation of the Saudi economy under the Vision 2030 plan,” Saudi Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Awwad S. Alawwad was quoted as saying at the opening. “It is great to have the second cinema open in the kingdom within a span of less than two weeks.”
“This is just one example that shows the fast pace of development in the kingdom,” he added.
The opening of the new cinema is part of a broader effort by VOX Cinemas to expand in Saudi Arabia, where the company has said it will invest an additional $533.2 million to open 600 screens over the course of the next five years.
VOX’s parent company, Majid Al Futtaim, has already announced project investments valued at $3.73 billion across its mall asset, fashion, leisure and retail offerings, a commitment that is expected to create over 114,000 direct and indirect job opportunities.
Additionally, through a partnership with 20th Century Fox, the distribution arm of Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas will exclusively distribute Fox content to cinemas in the kingdom. In 2018 alone, the company is planning to release a number of hotly anticipated films including The Darkest Minds, The Predator and the James Cameron produced Alita: Battle Angel.
Other cinemas currently under design include Majid Al Futtaim’s Mall of Saudi and City Centre Ishbiliyah – both expected to open in Riyadh in the coming years.
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For more information on locations and movie timings, visit https://ksa.voxcinemas.com/
Sources: Arabian Business and Gulf News
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Culture has established the Kingdom’s first official Film Council.
The announcement was made on Tuesday 20th March 2018 as Saudi Arabia prepares to open hundreds of cinemas following the lifting of a 35-year ban. Faisal Baltyuor has been named as CEO of the Film Council, and the authority is expected to launch the body internationally at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.
The launch by the General Culture Authority is the latest effort to establish and support new sectors that enhance society’s vitality and the economy’s diversity and prosperity, under the umbrella of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Executive Chairman of the Authority, Ahmed Bin Fahd Al-Mazeed, said “the move is the first step in supporting the film and creative content sector.”
CEO of the Film Council, Faisal Baltyour said “Given the incredible creative energy and talent within our country’s young, diverse population, Saudi Arabia is uniquely positioned to develop a vibrant and commercially successful film and content sector that tells Saudi stories at home and to the rest of the world. Over the past few months, we hosted several workshops with many of the country’s leading filmmakers and have incorporated their insights into the wealth of strategic initiatives we will be rolling out in 2018 and beyond.”
The Film Council is intended to develop the sector and create a thriving environment for the film and content industry in the Saudi Arabia. It will seek to do so through development programmes, fostering talent, flexible and supportive legislation, infrastructure and access to advanced production technology.
Makeshift theatres have already begun showing films in the kingdom as it prepares to welcome its first full-time venues.
The government expects to open more than 300 cinemas with 2,000 screens by 2030 and build a local industry that will contribute more then SAR90bn ($24bn) to the economy and create 30,000 permanent jobs, and has thus commenced the issuing of licenses to operate theatres.
Several international companies have expressed an interest in establishing cinemas in Saudi Arabia including US-based AMC Entertainment Holdings, which has plans for a business venture with the Public Investment Fund.
Middle East’s leading cinema chain VOX Cinemas is also expected to open a cinema in the in the Kingdom.
A survey conducted in December 2017 by Kantar TNS found 36 per cent of those intending to visit theatres planned to view local Saudi content and 48 per cent Arabic content. In contrast, 80 per cent intend to watch Hollywood films and 44 per cent Bollywood films.
Sources: Gulf Business, Arab News, Arabian Industry and Deadline
