VOX Cinemas wins rights to operate 12-screen cineplex at Grand Hyatt

Vox Cinemas, the entertainment arm of Dubai-based retail conglomerate Majid Al Futtaim announced that it has won rights to operate a 12-screen complex at Grand Hyatt.

The cineplex will be the company’s 12th outlet in the region and the third new location in the last four months, a statement said.

Novo Cinemas, one of VOX Cinemas’ competitor, previously operated the complex in this location.

The latest deal has made VOX Cinemas the largest and the fastest growing cinema chain in the Middle East, the statement added.

VOX Cinemas’ most recent acquisition is part of an expansion programme that was announced by its parent firm Majid Al Futtaim earlier this year. The retail conglomerate said that it will infuse Dhs 1bn into its cinema business over the next five years, up from an earlier planned investment of Dhs 750m.

The funds were to facilitate the ongoing refurbishment of existing cinemas, while also helping the company open new locations in existing and new Middle East and North Africa markets. The added investment will also help VOX Cinemas attract a further 50 million customers by 2020.

“Our openings this year at The Burjuman Centre (Dubai) and Nation Towers (Abu Dhabi) have exceeded expectations. Following our opening at cineplex, the opening of our flagship Mall Of The Emirates location next month and the next openings in the pipeline for 2015, we will end the year with a 42 per cent increase in cinema screens across our circuit,” said VOX Cinemas chief executive Cameron Mitchell.

VOX Cinemas also said that it is planning to renovate the complex and add a VOX 4DX screen to the outlet in Grand Hyatt. The company said that the future plans for the VOX cineplex include adding a customised VIP cinema offering.

VOX Cinemas currently operates 166 screens across the region, including 134 screens in the United Arab Emirates, 15 screens in Lebanon and 17 screens in Oman. Following its investments, the company is aiming to operate 400 screens in eight countries by 2018.