There are plans to open 2,500 screens in the country by 2030.
It’s only been a couple of weeks since Saudi Arabia’s first public cinema in over 30 years opened, and now it’s got company.
On April 18, the country’s first theatre was opened in Riyadh and screened Black Panther to hundreds of wide-eyed moviegoers.
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Just days after that opening, a second cinema has now opened in the capital and this one’s a multiplex with four screens. The first movie screened at the multiplex was Avengers: Infinity War, a big-budget superhero movie with Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth stealing the limelight.
Vox Cinemas is located in the new shopping and entertainment centre called Riyadh Park. The cinema includes Imax 3D and is located on the first floor of the mall. Customer will be able to buy tickets off a Vox app starting later this week.
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While the first theatre was opened by AMC Entertainment Holdings, this second multiplex is operated by Vox Cinemas which is owned by Dubai’s Majid Al Futtaim, the largest cinema operator in the Middle East.
According to a report on Gulf Business, Saudi Arabia plans to have over 2,500 screens in the country by 2030 spread across 350 cinemas, generating roughly $1 billion (Dhs3.67b) in annual sales.
Cinemas have returned to Saudi Arabia after a 35-year ban. The move is part of the country’s rapid modernisation under the country’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s Vision 2030.
In related news, Saudi Arabia will also participate in the Cannes Film Festival this month for the first time ever.
Images: Getty
