While box office returns in 2020 will suffer an estimated 80% global drop due to COVID-19, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is bucking this downward trend, having grown since 2019 to become the Middle East’s top grossing territory this year to date.
Fresh figures released during the recent META Cinema Forum exhibitors’ conference in October reveals that the Kingdom has overtaken the United Arab Emirates this year, and is currently the region’s top-grossing territory, with more than $73 million in theatrical movie ticket sales over the past 40 weeks – a roughly $2 million increase in box office returns compared with the same period in 2019.
The UAE during the same 2020 period has generated roughly $51 million, roughly a quarter of its 2019 box office draw.
Commenting on the growth of the theatrical market in KSA, Cameron Mitchell, CEO of VOX Cinemas says: “We believe that Saudi Arabia is the only cinema market globally to have expanded in 2020.”
Mitchell sees the Saudi market as having increased by roughly 4% year to date – despite the fact that, due to the pandemic, cinemas where closed between March and the middle of June – and is forecasting an 8% growth by year’s end.
The theatrical market in the Middle East in 2019 was worth $600 million, of which Saudi accounted for a $110 million share and the UAE roughly $250 million – which excludes releases of Indian and Arabic films and some indie content. “This year our numbers are telling us that the UAE is going to be worth about $60 million, and Saudi is going to be worth $120 million,” says Mitchell.
In terms of the bigger picture, Mitchell believes that Hollywood will value the Middle East at about $220 million in 2020 out of which KSA will contribute to 50% of the same this year.
David Hancock, an analyst at London-based Omdia says, “The fact that Saudi has now overtaken the UAE, albeit in a weird year, is suddenly a milestone for the Saudi Arabian cinema market.” Hancock expects the country will be a billion-dollar market “in 3 to 5 years,” depending on recovery from COVID-19 which he estimates this year will cause an 80% global box office drop, with losses totaling up to $30 billion. He also mentioned that KSA is on track to become the dominant market in the region “and one of the top 10 or 15 markets in the world.”
An interesting aspect of Saudi Arabia’s current box office upswing is that grosses in the country are currently generated from a mere 260 screens – less than half the 614 screens operating in the UAE. Average occupancy levels in cinemas across the Middle East have not gone beyond 20%, and Saudi is no exception. However, in terms of generating box office, KSA has the cushy advantage boasting of an average ticket priced at $17.60, which is the highest in the region followed by UAE figure which is $12.80, and Kuwait, the region’s third market, priced at $11.90.
Since cinemas re-opened in June, the biggest releases across the Middle East was Tenet, earning $1.1 and $1.5 Million in its opening weekend in UAE and KSA (figures from Box Office Mojo), followed by Mulan – which earned over $1.3 Million in its opening weekend in UAE. Unhinged starring Russel Crowe also performed handsomely in the region, though figures were not made readily available.
Meanwhile, screen growth in Saudi Arabia is going forward undeterred, with VOX presently operating 124 screens across 11 locations. Aside from VOX Cinemas, other cinema exhibitors operating in the Kingdom include Muvi Cinemas and AMC Cinemas who have 10 and 6 operational cinemas respectively, and are in the midst of massive expansion plans over the year ahead.
It’s also interesting to note that a number of new cinema locations opened across KSA, post the COVID-19 lockdown. VOX Cinemas opened three new locations – Sahara Mall, Tabuk Park and Al Jamea (Town Square), Muvi Cinemas massively expanded with the opening of six new locations – Jubail Mall, Al Ahsa Mall, Haifa Mall, Aziz Mall, Nakheel Mall (Riyadh) and Mall of Dhahran, and AMC Cinemas opened four new locations – Hafr Al Batin, Riyadh Gallery, Al Khair and Azizia Plaza.
VOX projects there will be a total of 340 screens in operation in the country by year’s end, and close to 700 by the end of 2021.
Having a market like Saudi Arabia can help Hollywood studios offset some of their losses, says Mitchell, who is worried that due to COVID-19, the supply chain is drying up. To overcome the challenge posed by the lack of new content, VOX is stepping up its offer of alternative content such as live soccer matches, opera and concerts, and also classic re-releases. VOX has also teamed up with local players Image Nation and MBC Group to produce a slate of Arabic films, at least three of which they plan to release in 2021 as part of a plan to release up to 10 Arabic self-produced titles annually.
Mitchell is confident the country will become a top ten global market for cinema, with ResearchAndMarkets.com forecasting the industry in the Kingdom will be worth more than $1.2 billion by the end of 2030.
Sources: Variety, Arabian Business, Arab News
Mobily – Saudi Arabian telecommunications company, recently booked an integrated cinema campaign with Motivate Val Morgan for its 5G connection services in Saudi Arabia.
The on-screen component of the campaign included two 15 sec. commercials booked for a period of 3 weeks: Mobily 5G Family – which screened from 22nd October to 2nd November 2020 and Mobily 5G Prepaid – which screened from 3rd to 11th November 2020.
The commercial was booked at the following Motivate Val Morgan serviced locations in KSA:
VOX Cinemas: Red Sea Mall, West Avenue Mall, Atyaf Mall, Sahara Mall and Riyadh Front
Muvi Cinemas: Nakheel Mall (Riyadh), Nakheel Mall (Dammam), Haifa Mall and Mall of Arabia
AMC Cinemas: KAFD, Panorama Mall and Al Khair
The off-screen component included the distribution of leaflets containing information on Mobily Air Fiber 5G at VOX Cinemas – Sahara Mall over the weekend of 5th – 7th November 2020.
Promoters were hired by the brand to oversee and assist with handing out leaflets to cinemagoers walking out of the auditoriums.
Click here to access the Mobily flyer distributed at VOX Cinemas – Sahara Mall.
An integrated campaign is an effective strategy to implement when promoting or launching a new service offering, for it engages cinema audiences – both within the auditorium and outside in the foyer area of the cinema, and provides higher ad recall.
Contact a member of our sales team to know more on how integrated campaigns can help move your brand closer to its target audience.
Muvi Cinemas celebrated the opening of its tenth and largest cinema location yet – Mall of Dhahran, on Thursday 15th October 2020.
The cinema is the first destination for movie lovers in the major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry – located in the Eastern province of KSA, and features 18 screens with a total of 2368 seats, including four unique cinema experiences: ScreenX, Dolby Cinema, Samsung Onyx and muvi SUITES.
The new cinema was inaugurated by Dhahran Municipality Chief Eng. Mohammed Al Jassim and Sultan Alhokair, CEO of Muvi Cinemas, in the presence of representatives from the Quality of Life Program, Arabian Centers Company, General Commission for Audiovisual Media, social media celebrities, and media representatives. The opening also included a special screening of the 2020 American horror movie Antebellum to VIPs and invitees.
Commenting on the opening of the cinema at Mall of Dhahran, Mahmoud Mirza, Marketing Director of Muvi Cinemas, said: “It is extremely gratifying to introduce another advanced and luxurious cinema concept for our customers in Saudi Arabia. Entertainment has been an important part of the Saudi entertainment business, and it is our responsibility to continue to offer enhanced experiences to our customers.”
He further added, “The new cinema complex which is considered as the largest in Saudi Arabia with its splendid aesthetics stands tall as one of the most advanced Muvi Cinemas in Saudi Arabia and we are excited for our customers to witness the captivating and immersive experience. We are certain that the newest Muvi Cinema in Dhahran Mall will be the next entertainment hub of the Eastern province.”
More on Mall of Dhahran
Mall of Dhahran by Arabian Centres which opened in 2005, is one of the best malls in Saudi Arabia and a key destination in the triplet cities of Dhahran, Dammam, and Al Khobar. Spread across one floor spanning 160,647 SQM, the mall provides more than 400 stores, 70 eateries and a variety of entertaining activities, dedicated to creating a vibrant and unique environment for all its guests.
From small boutiques and high-end brand stores, to new retailers and international brands, the mall is home to popular brands such as: Adidas, DKNY, The Body Shop, Zara, New Yorker, Swatch and many more. In terms of restaurants and cafés, the variety of food offerings range from stylish and contemporary international brands, popular fast-food chains and coffee and cake shops.
To complement its shopping and dining facilities, the mall boasts not only the first home-grown cinema chain – Muvi Cinemas, but also the world’s largest indoor playground – Billy Beez, and kids gaming and play center – Sparky’s.
The mall is Arabian Centres’ No. 1 mall in Saudi Arabia, with an occupancy rate of 94.6%, and its 2019 footfall was over 12.5 million.
As the official cinema advertising partner of Muvi Cinemas, Motivate Val Morgan congratulates the cinema exhibitor on the launch of Mall of Dhahran and warmly welcomes this new location to our cinema circuit in Saudi Arabia.
Contact us for cinema advertising opportunities at this new location.
Sources: Muvi Cinemas, Zawya, Mall of Dhahran and argaam
Muvi Cinemas launched a new cinema at Nakheel Mall in Riyadh on Wednesday 23rd September 2020. The cinema features 13 screens with a total of 1685 seats, and includes four unique cinema experiences: ScreenX, Dolby Cinema, Onyx and muvi SUITES.
The cinema exhibitor also recently launched an 18-screen cinema at Mall of Dhahran (Dhahran) on 15th October 2020, bringing Muvi’s total screen across KSA to 103 screens. The site also marks the tenth location for Muvi Cinemas in 14 months since debuting their first location, having entered the market in 2019 as KSA’s first homegrown cinema chain.
*More information on Mall of Dhahran to follow in the coming weeks.
As the official cinema advertising partner of Muvi Cinemas, Motivate Val Morgan congratulates the cinema exhibitor on the launch of Nakheel Mall in Riyadh and warmly welcomes this new location to our regional cinema circuit.
Contact us for cinema advertising opportunities at this new location.
Source: Muvi Cinemas
Muvi Cinemas opened its door to cinemagoers at yet another location in Jeddah – Aziz Mall, on Tuesday 15th September 2020.
Aziz Mall features 9 screens with a total of 1270 seats, and includes unique cinema experiences such as ScreenX and muvi Xperience.
The cinema exhibitor also launched two other cinemas at Nakheel Mall (Riyadh) and Mall of Dhahran (Dhahran) on 23rd September and 15th October 2020 respectively.
*More information on Nakheel Mall and Mall of Dhahran to follow in the coming weeks.
Muvi Cinemas presently operates 103 screens across 10 locations in 6 cities. Motivate Val Morgan congratulates Muvi on the launch of Aziz Mall and warmly welcomes this new location to our cinema circuit in Saudi Arabia.
Contact us for cinema advertising opportunities.
Related Articles:
Muvi Cinemas Opens at Haifa Mall in Jeddah
Muvi Cinemas Opens at Al Ahsa Mall in Saudi Arabia
Muvi Cinemas Opens at Jubail Mall in Saudi Arabia
Muvi Cinemas Opens Saudi Arabia’s First Dolby Screen
Muvi Cinemas Opens at U – Walk in Riyadh
Muvi Cinemas Opens Second Location at Al Hamra Mall in Riyadh
Motivate Val Morgan Welcomes Muvi Cinemas to Our Circuit in KSA
Source: Muvi Cinemas
AMC Cinemas opened yet another new cinema location – Al Khair, at Al Makan Mall in Riyadh, KSA on Tuesday 25th August 2020.
The cinema features 9 screens with a total of 801 seats, and also includes IMAX and PRIME at AMC experiences. Al Khair also features AMC Cinema Souq, a reimagined and fully customizable food and beverage concept which treats moviegoers to classic cinema fare, restaurant-quality hot food, special desserts, handcrafted beverages from AMC MacGuffins Mocktail and Coffee Bar as well as movie merchandise and much more.
Please Note: Due to travel restrictions, IMAX screen installation will delay based on tech’s arrival in KSA.
بكل فخر و سعادة نحتفل بتدشين سينما AMC الخير ٩ في المكان مول، حي الملقا بالرياض مع أول صالة لتجربة برايم في AMC ?
اكتشفوا AMC سينما و أكثر اليوم!?#AMC_سينما_وأكثر#المرئي_والمسموع#رؤية_السعودية_2030#برنامج_جودة_الحياة#مشاريع_الترفيه_السعودية#صحتك_بالدنيا pic.twitter.com/TKjKcpG8yI
— AMC سينما (@AMC_Cinemas_SA) August 26, 2020
To inaugurate the opening of Al Khair, various government officials, guests of honor and members of AMC’s executive team joined in the festivities with an exclusive premiere of PRIME at AMC, an extraordinary cinema experience featuring laser projection, Dolby Atmos sound and AMC’s signature Luxe Recliners.
AMC Cinemas presently operates 37 screens across 5 locations in 2 cities of Saudi Arabia.
Motivate Val Morgan congratulates AMC Cinemas on the opening of Al Khair, and warmly welcomes this location to our regional cinema circuit.
Contact us for cinema advertising opportunities across the AMC circuit in KSA.
Related Articles:
AMC Cinemas Opens at Riyadh Gallery in KSA
AMC Opens Third Location at Al Makan Mall in Hafr Al Batin
AMC Opens Second Location at Panorama Mall in KSA
Motivate Val Morgan Welcomes AMC Cinemas to its Circuit in KSA
Sources: AMC Cinemas and Zawya
AMC’s nine screen cinema at Riyadh Gallery is equipped with massive screens, 4K Barco laser projectors, immersive sound and Luxe Recliner and Plush Rocker seating. The cinema also features Dolby Cinema and AMC Prime screens.
AMC Cinemas opened a new cinema at Riyadh Gallery in KSA on Thursday 27th August 2020.
The cinema features 9 screens – with 4K Barco laser projectors, immersive sound and Luxe Recliner and Plush Rocker seating, with a total of 901 seats, and also includes Dolby Cinema and PRIME at AMC screens.
Greeting guests on arrival to the cinema is AMC Cinema Souq, a reimagined and fully customizable food & beverage concept. AMC Cinema Souq treats moviegoers to classic cinema fare, restaurant quality hot foods, one-of-a-kind deserts, creative handcrafted beverages from AMC MacGuffins Mocktail & Coffee Bar, as well as movie merchandise and much more. Visitors can come in and enjoy AMC Cinemas food & beverage offerings at any time as the Cinema Souq is available to everyone.
To inaugurate the opening of Riyadh Gallery, various government officials, guests of honor and members of AMC’s executive team joined in the festivities with an exclusive premiere of PRIME at AMC, an extraordinary cinema experience featuring laser projection, Dolby Atmos sound and AMC’s signature Luxe Recliners.
Commenting on the evening John Iozzi, Managing Director of AMC Cinemas said: “We are proud to be opening our fourth location in Saudi Arabia and to share this evening with friends, dignitaries and the people of Riyadh. I look forward to sharing many more AMC Cinema experiences with the people of KSA as we urgently expand our footprint across the country and continue to provide our guests with the best in cinema.”
نحتفل بإطلاق ٩ صالات سينما جديدة في AMC الرياض جاليري ?
مجهزة بأحدث التجارب وأكبر صالة #برايم_في_AMC مع تجربة سوق السينما للراحة في التسوق ??
تفضل بزيارتنا اليوم وعيش السينما وأكثر في AMC ?#AMC_سينما_وأكثر#المرئي_والمسموع#رؤية_السعودية_2030#مشاريع_الترفيه_السعودية pic.twitter.com/KuCPBJBiHc
— AMC سينما (@AMC_Cinemas_SA) August 28, 2020
AMC Cinemas also opened another new location – Al Khair, at Al Makan Mall in Riyadh on Tuesday 25th August 2020, which features 9 screens with a total of 801 seats, and includes IMAX and PRIME at AMC screens.
*More information on Al Khair at Al Makan Mall in Riyadh to follow in the coming weeks.
Together with Al Khair and Riyadh Gallery, the cinema exhibitor presently operates 37 screens across 5 locations in 2 cities of Saudi Arabia.
Motivate Val Morgan congratulates AMC Cinemas on the opening of Al Khair and Riyadh Gallery, and warmly welcomes these locations to our regional cinema circuit.
Contact us for cinema advertising opportunities across the four AMC locations in Saudi Arabia.
Related Articles:
AMC Opens Third Location at Al Makan Mall in Hafr Al Batin
AMC Opens Second Location at Panorama Mall in KSA
Motivate Val Morgan Welcomes AMC Cinemas to its Circuit in KSA
Sources: AMC Cinemas and Zawya
AMC’s eight screen cinema at Al Makan Mall in Hafr Al Batin features best-in-class projection, sound and seating, as well as a new innovative F&B concept – AMC Cinema Souq.
AMC Cinemas has opened its third Saudi cinema at Al Makan Mall, in the Eastern Province city of Hafr Al Batin.
AMC – Al Makan Mall officially opened on 13th August 2020, with a screening of the Saudi-directed and produced feature film Shams Al-Maaref. The cinema features 8 screens and 787 seats, and includes an IMAX screen.
*Please Note: due to current travel restrictions as a result of COVID-19, the installation of the IMAX screen at Al Makan Mall will be delayed.
View this post on Instagram
Al Makan Mall boasts the best of what AMC Cinemas is deploying in its rapid expansion across the Kingdom – industry leading in-auditorium experiences, exceptionally creative food and beverage offerings and remarkable service. Greeting guests on arrival to the cinema is AMC Cinema Souq, a reimagined and fully customizable food and beverage concept. AMC Cinema Souq treats moviegoers to classic cinema fare, restaurant-quality hot food, special desserts, handcrafted beverages from AMC MacGuffins Mocktail and Coffee Bar as well as movie merchandise and much more.
John Iozzi, Managing Director of AMC Cinemas, said: “It gives us great pleasure to open our newest location in Hafr Al Batin. We are truly blessed with the opening night turnout and share in the local excitement of this first class cinema.”
Iozzi further stated: “In the coming weeks I look forward to sharing many more AMC Cinemas experiences with the people of the Kingdom as we urgently expand our footprint in Saudi Arabia and continue to provide our guests with innovative cinema formats tailored for every taste.”
Every auditorium at AMC – Al Makan Mall is fully equipped with a massive screen, 4K Barco laser projector, immersive surround sound with Luxe Recliner and Plush Rocker seating throughout. Every seat is appointed with a table and USB charging port.
AMC Cinemas presently operates 19 screens across 3 locations in KSA.
Motivate Val Morgan congratulates AMC Cinemas on the opening of its cinema at Al Makan Mall in Hafr Al Batin, and warmly welcomes this new location to our regional cinema circuit.
Contact us for cinema advertising opportunities across the three AMC locations in Saudi Arabia.
Related Articles:
AMC Opens Second Location at Panorama Mall in KSA
Motivate Val Morgan Welcomes AMC Cinemas to its Circuit in KSA
Sources: AMC Cinemas, Zawya, Arab News and Gulf News
VOX Cinemas opened its tenth cinema at Tabuk Park in Saudi Arabia (the first ever cinema in the city of Tabuk) on Monday 27th July 2020, in line with its commitment to expand its footprint to new cities across the country.
The 11-screen multiplex has a seating capacity of 831 and features VOX Cinemas’ signature concepts including two KIDS screens, a colourful and dedicated auditorium for young movie lovers, and VIP, which offers guests a more luxurious experience. VOX Cinemas Tabuk Park combines world-class entertainment with an enhanced range of innovative and homegrown food and beverage options, including a Nutella Bar as well as the VOX Cinemas Candy Bar.
Tabuk Park is the second VOX location to open in Saudi Arabia since the reopening of cinemas in the country following the COVID-19 cinema closure. With a total of 112 screens across 10 movie theatres in four cities, VOX Cinemas is the largest exhibitor by screen count, admissions, market share and the largest independent distributor in the Kingdom.
Speaking on the opening of Tabuk Park, Mohamed Al Hashemi — Country Head, Majid Al Futtaim Ventures KSA said, “We are extremely proud to be bringing the magic of motion picture to Tabuk for the first time, which demonstrates our commitment to supporting the Quality of Life Program by enhancing participation in cultural and entertainment activities and creating job opportunities in the film industry. It also marks another major milestone for VOX Cinemas, which surpassed 100 screens in Saudi Arabia with the opening of VOX Cinemas Sahara Mall, Riyadh in June. We continue to build on that momentum by expanding our footprint in new cities such as Tabuk with plans to open in Hail and Jubail in the coming months. We will also be bringing our world class experiences to Jeddah at the end of the year, in line with our ambitious plans to build 600 cinema screens across the Kingdom by 2023 as part of a SAR 2 billion investment. Saudi Arabia has a burgeoning entertainment sector and we look forward to leveraging the growth opportunities that Vision 2030 presents.”
Motivate Val Morgan congratulates VOX Cinemas on the opening of Tabuk Park and warmly welcomes this new location to our regional cinema circuit.
Contact us for cinema advertising opportunities at this new VOX location in KSA.
Related Articles:
VOX Cinemas Opens Ninth Location at Sahara Mall in KSA
VOX Cinemas Opens Eighth Location at Atyaf Mall in KSA
VOX Cinemas Opens Sixth Location in KSA at West Avenue Mall Dammam
VOX Cinemas Opens Fifth Location in KSA at Kingdom Centre
VOX Cinemas Opens Fourth Location in KSA – The Roof
VOX Cinemas Opens at Al Qasr Mall in Riyadh
VOX Cinemas Opens at Red Sea Mall in Jeddah
VOX Cinemas Opens in Saudi Arabia at Riyadh Park Mall
Source: VOX Cinemas
Saudi Arabia lifted its national curfew on June 21, 2020 and resumed commercial activities, which included the reopening of cinemas across the country.
Following the reopening of cinemas by VOX and Muvi cinemas in KSA, AMC Cinemas reopened its doors to the public on Thursday 2nd July 2020. In line with government restrictions, social distancing remains in place and wearing a face mask is mandatory.
The cinema exhibitors has also posted videos on its social media channels highlighting the safety and precautionary measures they have taken to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for cinemagoers:
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Similar to all cinemas across the region, AMC Cinemas will screen previously released blockbusters from 2019 and early 2020, until new blockbusters start releasing from August 2020.
Visit amccinemas.com for more information on movies screening across its locations, and contact us for cinema advertising opportunities across the AMC cinema circuit in KSA.
Related Articles:
