01 Jan 2006
Dubai: The increase in ticket prices imposed by the UAE's two cinema operators in recent days is the first price rise for at least six years, officials have said.
The price of a standard ticket at Cinestar cinemas went up from Dh30 to Dh35 on December 28 while at Grand Cinemas the same increase in ticket prices begins today (January 1).
Salim Ramia from Grand Cinemas, which has 16 theatres spread across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah, told Gulf News that prices had not gone up for a long time
"This is the first increase in six years. For six years the price hasn't gone up. Running expenses are more than 25 per cent higher. Living in Dubai is becoming expensive.
"The rent, the operating expenses, they all went up and yet until now we haven't increased the prices. We never increased anything," he said.
Ramia said that cinema ticket prices in the UAE, even after the increase, were still good value compared to those in many other countries.
"We are still cheaper than in Europe or England," he told Gulf News.
Cinestar's regional cinema manager Toni Al Masih said the price rise was the first one the company had introduced since it began operations in the UAE in 1999. The company has two cinemas in Dubai, one in Ajman and one in Abu Dhabi.
Deterrent
"There has been an increase in rents, an increase in housing allowances, in operating allowances, an increase in the film hire that we have to pay.
"We haven't had an increase since we opened seven years ago in 1999. It was Dh30," he said.
Al Masih said he was not expecting cinema audiences to dwindle in the wake of the price increases.
"We haven't had any complaints. It is business as usual," he said.
Peter Alcock, 38, a British expatriate who goes to the cinema about once a month with his nine-year-old daughter and five-year-old son, said the price rise might deter him from going to the flicks.
"I wouldn't say Dh35 is unreasonable for a ticket, but it does mean that the cinema is a bit more expensive than some alternative things to do. The cinema is competing with video and it might make me more likely to buy a DVD instead.
"With the cinema, I certainly feel that if it cost a little bit less it would go a lot more often - if it was Dh20 we would probably go once a week instead of once a month," he said.
- With inputs from Mohammad Shamseddine, Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2007. All rights reserved.
