Entertainment Gone Local: Saudi Arabia just opened its own cinema brand

Saudi Arabia's first cinema brand cut the ribbon of its first multiplex this week. >Muvi Cinemas, located at Jeddah's Mall of Arabia, is comprised of 15 screens and is purely run by Saudi nationals.

The Jeddah branch is one out five theaters that are meant to open around the kingdom before the end of 2019. The following four will be found at Nakheel Mall Dammam, the Mall of Dhahran, Al Hamra Mall in Riyadh, as well as the currently under construction boulevard mall complex U Walk in Riyadh - scheduled to be up and running sometime this year.

"It is truly something to be proud of from the first Saudi cinematic company. I was awed with the level of preparation I saw today! You did an amazing job!" the Saudi Minister of Media, Turki bin Abdullah Al-Shabanah, wrote in a tweet.

The minister was present for the opening and "expressed his delight at the opening of the second cinema in Jeddah" but the first-ever home-grown theater complex. 

Muvi Cinemas is owned and operated by Next Generation, a company established just this year in Riyadh. 

However, a contract with Arabian Centers - a leading owner, operator, and developer of contemporary lifestyle centers in Saudi Arabia - has been signed since 2002. The latter allows Muvi Cinemas to implement its expansion plan of reaching 10 malls in eight Saudi cities over the next 24 months.

Part of this plan includes the introduction of a total of 250 screens, with screen options including the ScreenX, the bespoke Xperience, the Suites, the Junior as well as standard screens for movie fanatics on a budget. 

Prices for standard screenings vary between 50 riyals ($13.33) a ticket for regular seats and 60 riyals ($16) a ticket for premium.

The other lavish screens have benefits of their own that are definitely worth the price.

ScreenX: The world's first multi-projection movie theater, has a main screen that extends to the sides of the auditorium walls, creating a wraparound screen. The ticket price stands at 75 riyals ($20.)

Xperience: A wall-to-wall movie screen with moving audio, comfortable leather chairs, and phone charging sockets at the bottom of the seat. The ticket price stands at 75 riyals ($20.)

Suites: "The ultimate luxury cinema experience." It had luxurious, motorized, and fully reclining leather chairs with footrest, access to a private lounge, a sliding table for food, and a large screen designed to make sure the viewer doesn't miss a thing. The ticket price stands at 140 riyals ($37.33).

These Muvi Cinemas multiplexes work perfectly with the Saudi government's Vision 2030's Quality of Life program. 

The latter is meant to improve the lifestyle of individuals by creating an ecosystem that supports and offers new options to increase citizens' and residents' participation in cultural, environmental, and sports activities.