First multiplex cinema opens in Saudi Arabia

VOX Cinemas, a unit of Dubai-based Majid Al Futtaim, on Monday opened the first four-screen multiplex in Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom’s culture ministry said in a statement.

Located in Riyadh Park, the multiplex opened two weeks after the first public cinema screening in the Kingdom.

VOX Cinemas plans to launch 600 screens across Saudi Arabia at the cost of SAR 2 billion, potentially creating 3,000 jobs, the statement added.

“Tonight’s cinema opening represents another historic moment in the transformation of the Saudi economy under the Vision 2030 plan spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” said Awwad Alawwad, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture and Information.

Ticket prices at the VOX cinema, which has Imax 3D, start at SAR 50 ($13.3) and will go on sale online or through the VOX app in three days’ time, Arab News reported.

Saudi Arabia in December lifted a 35-year ban on cinemas, allowing show providers to commence activity from 2018.

The decision is part of wide-ranging social and economic reforms under Vision 2030, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The Kingdom plans to open up to 350 theatres and over 2500 screens by 2030 with the cinema industry expected to rise to around $1 billion in size over the coming years.