Dubai (UAE) and Riyadh (KSA) – 1 September 2020/ CinemaNext, the European, Middle Eastern & African specialist in cinema exhibitor services, and Lebanese cinema chain Empire Cinemas today announced the signature of an agreement for the deployment of CinemaNext’s Sphera premium cinema concept at the Al Andalus Mall in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Located on the Red Sea coast, Empire Cinemas’ new 18-screen, 1,176-seat complex featuring Sphera as its centrepiece is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Designed to provide audiences with the most advanced premium cinema experience, Sphera at Jeddah’s Al Andalus Mall offers all the comfort of luxury reclining seats with a stadium seating configuration for a unique field of view, proprietary real-time LED ambient lighting deployed in vertical columns along the side walls of the auditorium, immersive image & sound with a new acoustical wall structure and contemporary design. The Sphera auditorium will feature a 15.5-metre wide wall-to-wall screen,152 premium seats and a next-generation 4K Laser projector, with a Dolby Atmos™ sound system reinforced by a powerful subwoofer benefiting from the latest developments in energy transducer technology.
For Empire Cinemas CEO Gino Haddad, “Our high standards for comfort, design and innovation through the new technologies we deploy are a perfect fit for this rapidly developing region. From the moment we first experienced Sphera in Paris and in Athens, we were enthralled with the design, service, technological superiority and affordability of CinemaNext’s turnkey premium cinema. We couldn’t be happier to be partnering with them again on our second site in Saudi Arabia. As the cinema industry re-emerges from the global lockdown, to be able to offer our audiences large seating perfectly fit for social distancing and real-time lighting effects combined with a bespoke architectural & aesthetic concept for a truly immersive moviegoing experience with Sphera is nothing less than thrilling.”
“As an advocate of the latest technologies enhancing the moviegoing experience, Empire Cinemas has been a significant partner in our continuous endeavour to transform the public’s entertainment experience with the most advanced image and sound technologies, as well as a sophisticated and contemporary design, making Sphera the perfect all-in-one premium offer,” says François Inizan, General Manager of CinemaNext MEA. “We are thrilled that CinemaNext has become a preferred cinema integrator in the Middle East with over 100 screens to be installed by our local teams by the end of 2020. We are committed to transporting even more moviegoers in the region deeper into the cinemagoing experience with our unequalled services and premium solutions.”
“In recent years, we have put a lot of energy into rethinking our premium cinema concept so that audiences can expect much more than just a movie,” adds Georges Garic, Senior Vice President, CinemaNext. “At a time when people around the globe are craving quality out-of-home experiences, Sphera delivers an undeniable differentiating factor. Suited to most cinema configurations, whether new build or retrofit, it is the ideal way for exhibitors of all sizes to immerse their customers in a superior cinema experience from the moment they step through the doors.”
Learn more about Sphera at https://www.spheracinema.com
Sphera is a registered trademark of CinemaNext S.A.
ABOUT CINEMANEXT
CinemaNext is the largest cinema exhibition services company in EMEA, providing smart, comprehensive solutions across the board, from projection equipment, audio systems, central systems, premium cinema solutions, cinema outfitting, content management, 3D projection systems & glasses, TMS, digital signage, screens to consulting services. Clients enjoy the highest level of reliability and lowest cost of ownership through our various services: consulting, design & project management, equipment sales and financing, installation, maintenance, support (NOC), online monitoring, content management, spare and consumables, service agreements and supply chain & logistics. 13,000 screens have been installed by our technicians to date. 9,500 screens in Europe currently avail of service contracts with our company. CinemaNext's main office is located in Liège-Blegny (Belgium). Regional offices can be found in 26 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. For more information, please connect to https://www.cinemanext.com
ABOUT EMPIRE CINEMAS
Empire Cinemas traces its history back to 1919 when Lebanese cinema pioneer Georges N. Haddad, launched his first movie theatre in Beirut, naming it the Cosmograph at its Bourj location (Place des Canons-Beirut Central District). Today, Empire Cinemas operates sites both in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia and aims to play an important role in the strong growth of the Kingdom’s emerging entertainment sector (13 locations in the coming years). Empire Cinemas is inspirationally creative – consistently striving to set the industry standard; in fact, our edge is at managing cinematic experiences from sight and sound to further dimensional mind moving affects. Empire Cinemas’ top priority is investing in comfort and creating exceptional experiences for moviegoers. In addition to technical excellence we bring to the table a wealth of unique & innovative products in terms of projection and sound equipment. We tailor every cinema location to the surrounding marketplace and customer preferences. Empire has offices in Beirut, Dubai, Cairo, Erbil and Riyadh.
CinemaNext and Empire Cinemas Bring Sphera Premium Cinema Solution to Jeddah