Imax has secured its first-ever partnership with Saudi Arabia’s leading theatrical distributor Muvi Cinemas and plans to open four screens in key cities across the kingdom.
Under the agreement, Muvi Cinemas will bring two Imax with Laser systems to Saudi’s capital and most populous city, Riyadh; one to Jeddah’s Mall of Arabia; and the first Imax system to Dhahran.
Three of the new large-screen format locations are scheduled to open by the end of 2024, with an additional location to follow in 2025.
Imax has 10 locations open in Saudi, with a further 22 planned inclusive of the new partnership with Muvi. The large-screen exhibitor estimates it can open at least 50 locations in the country and the latest agreement means Imax is now is in partnership with the top four exhibitors in KSA, having previously established collaborations with Cinema Saudi Company (AMC), VOX and Empire.
Saudi has consistently ranked among the company’s top 20 countries worldwide since its first full year of commercial operation in 2019, following the lift of the kingdom’s 35-year theatrical ban six years ago.
Recent releases have yielded record success for Imax at the Saudi box office. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer became the highest grossing Imax title ever in Saudi and last month’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die is among the top five.
The country continues to be a prime market not only for IMAX Hollywood releases, but also local language content from India and Japan. The 2025 global film slate will feature a record 14 filmed-for-Imax releases.
“Saudi Arabia is a market where the Imax footprint has grown dramatically in recent years, and yet so much untapped potential still lies before us,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of Imax. “This is a country with a passionate moviegoing audience that has embraced diverse fare in Imax ranging from Oppenheimer to Bad Boys to international films and — by partnering with a premier, nationwide exhibitor like Muvi — we are strengthening our ability to meet that strong demand.”
Riyadh-based Muvi Cinemas launched in 2019 and is the market leader in terms of screen count in KSA, with more than 200 screens – accounting for around a third of the country’s total – in over 20 locations.
In 2023, 443 films were released in cinemas across Saudi, generating 17.4 million admissions – up more than 20% on 2022. Total ticket sales exceeded $240 million, propelling Saudi Arabia to the 15th position globally in box office rankings for the year, according to ComScore.
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