Mexican movie chain Cinépolis has revealed plans to expand across the GCC this year, with new cinemas set to open in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

In an exclusive interview with TradeArabia, Ashish Shukla, CEO for Cinépolis Gulf, revealed that it is currently fitting out its first cinema in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. No opening dates were announced.

The expansion plans come hot on the heels of the opening of the GCC's first Cinépolis in Bahrain at the end of January.

Located at Atrium Mall, Saar, on the left of the King Fahd Causeway when entering into the country from the Saudi Arabian city of Al Khobar, the Cinépolis cinema is ideally placed for Saudi visitors as well.

Featuring 13-screens, including Bahrain’s first Junior theatre and 4D E-motion viewing experience, as well as two large-format screens, MacroXE with Dolby Atmos, Cinépolis promises a unique cinema offering.

Since its opening, it has enjoyed favourable response from residents and visitors. "We're quite pleased with the response to our cinema experience in Bahrain. Our Junior theatre, 4D E-motion and MacroXE screens have become top favourites among visitors," Shukla said.

"We're also seeing a rise in visitors from Saudi Arabia, who constitute about 25 per cent of our visitors so far," he said.

To further boost the number of its cinemagoers, Cinépolis is offering 'flat 50 per cent off' when booking tickets using the Cinépolis Bahrain app. The special offer will run for the next three weeks, Shukla noted.

Shukla, who has been in the cinema industry for the last 30 years, is proud of Cinépolis’ impact on the cinema business in Bahrain.

"At Cinépolis, our aim is to ensure viewers enjoy a well-rounded experience. From exceptional seating and premium F&B options to the latest projection and sound technology, we aim to give our guests the best sound and picture for their money," Shukla noted.

When asked about the future of cinema following the rise of online streaming services, Shukla noted that such services "have not negatively impacted cinema attendance".

"Man is a social being. He/she enjoys being with people and experiencing moments together. Although there has been a rise in the number of online streaming service viewers [such as Amazon Prime and Netflix] across the region and the world, it has done nothing but take over the regular TV watching experience at home. Cinema, on the other hand, has always been, and will always be, a part of man's social activity."

Adding to the movie experience, Cinépolis held an exclusive screening of the much-anticipated Captain Marvel on March 5 for media personnel and lucky Instagram contest winners. - TradeArabia News Service

Copyright 2019 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).

Disclaimer: The content of this article is syndicated or provided to this website from an external third party provider. We are not responsible for, and do not control, such external websites, entities, applications or media publishers. The body of the text is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis and has not been edited in any way. Neither we nor our affiliates guarantee the accuracy of or endorse the views or opinions expressed in this article. Read our full disclaimer policy here.