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.
Source: CinemaNext and Empire Cinemas Bring Sphera Premium Cinema Solution to Jeddah | CinemaNext