Kelvin Kwok Han Sim, Chief Executive Officer of Dar Al Arkan Development and Mohamed Al Hashemi, Country Manager for Saudi Arabia at Majid Al Futtaim Group

Dar Al Arkan, one of the largest listed real estate developers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, announced that it has signed an agreement with Majid Al Futtaim, to open VOX Cinemas multiplex in Saudi Arabia.

The deal was officially signed in Riyadh and works have started immediately. VOX Cinemas will operate the new 15-screen multiplex at Dar Al Arkan’s Al Qasr Mall in the Saudi capital. The multiplex is scheduled to open in Q1 2019 and will include VOX Cinemas’ signature KIDS and MAX experiences. KIDS is a family-friendly movie environment designed for little movie fans, and MAX is the mega-screen made for big blockbuster viewing.

The design involves a major retail transformation of an existing section of the mall for the 15-screen multiplex, which will offer a superior leisure experience to the mall visitors. The addition of more outlets for casual dining and entertainment, including indoor bowling will enhance the visitors’ experience at the mall.

At its contemporary four-storey building, Al Qasr Mall hosts regional and international high-street favorites, diverse dining experiences, a food court, an indoor fun zone for children and Carrefour Hypermarket.

On another level, Majid Al Futtaim also announced that it will provide design and development consultancy services for the world’s largest indoor snow & ski resort, Wintastar Shanghai, led by Singapore’s SGX Catalist-listed purveyor of luxury lifestyle, real estate and hospitality, KOP Limited. The project which will be managed by Majid Al Futtaim’s Leisure & Entertainment business marks the company’s first foray in the international market outside of the MENA region and represents its maiden indoor snow entertainment venture in China.

This announcement builds on Majid Al Futtaim’s expertise with Ski Dubai, the first indoor ski and snow attraction in the Middle East.  In 2017, Majid Al Futtaim launched the first indoor ski resort in Africa with Ski Egypt and is currently developing Ski Saudi, a snow park in Oman and will operate a snow park in Abu Dhabi’s upcoming Reem Mall, which makes it one of the largest developers and operators of indoor snow entertainment facilities in the world.

Through its partnership with Wintastar Shanghai, Majid Al Futtaim is expanding its international footprint and rapidly establishing itself at the forefront of the industry. Wintastar Shanghai’s alpine-themed 90,000 square meter ski & snow park will feature three ski slopes of varying gradients, including a slope of Olympic standard for training. For non-skiers, Wintastar Shanghai will feature 25 snow play attractions.  

Majid Al Futtaim’s Leisure & Entertainment business currently has 127,000 m2 of operational and upcoming snow entertainment facilities in its portfolio, firmly placing it as the go-to company in indoor snow entertainment services worldwide.