MARKET REPORT: MIDDLE EAST
for the industry in 2020 is quite a bit lower than estimates that Team Leisure has made in the past. It’s also a bright outlook again for the
Kingdom’s nascent cinema market. The first licences for 35 years were granted in April 2018 and the number of operating and planned cinemas has grown rapidly since. The first cinema opened at King Abdullah Financial District in April 2018, followed by VOX Cinemas opening the second location at Riyadh Park Mall in May 2018. By the start of 2020 (prior to the COVID-19 lockdown), the totals stood at 14 locations and 134 screens. As of June 2021, the totals now stand at 33 locations and 309 screens, confirming that the Kingdom has continued to develop new cinemas even during the coronavirus pandemic and could well be on track to achieve its long-term goal of more than 350 locations with 2,600 screens by 2030. As operators around the world start to
re-open their doors the GCC already reports over 5 million moviegoers in 2021 to date with Saudi Arabia a major component of that. (Saudi Arabia – A Booming Cinema Market in the GCC – Motivate Val Morgan, June 2021). Overall, the attractions market in KSA is clearly in a significant growth phase and
there are many causes for optimism that the industry will quickly recover from the coronavirus pandemic and continue on its path of rapid expansion.
Qatar By comparison with the UAE and KSA, Qatar has had one of the longest continuous attraction lockdowns in the region having started a full lockdown on 15 March 2020 which, apart from 3 weeks in January 2021, it will only lift from 18 June 2021. Even then museums, cinemas, restaurants and attractions are only able to open subject to a cap of 20% - 40% of normal capacity and, in some cases, a requirement that 75% of customers are vaccinated. Further progress has, however, continued to be made on a number of new attractions planned for Qatar. First launched in 2012, Qatar Museums
has recently announced that the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum is set to open in July 2021. The museum, which is connected to the Khalifa International Stadium at Aspire via a walkway, will open its doors in two stages, with the first in July to coincide with the Tokyo Olympics, the second in October in preparation for the Arab Cup 2021, which will be held in December 2021.
Located at Oasis Mall, part of the
Musheireb, Heart of Doha project, the 28,000 sqm, US$ 300 million Doha Quest, an indoor experiential theme park (previously referred to as Doha Oasis Quest, Wonder Dome and, before that, as Adventure Land) is finally forecast to open in 2021 once the Covid-19 restrictions on indoor attractions are fully lifted, currently anticipated for later this year. Place Vêndome Lusail is also expected
to open late 2021 complete with an entertainment zone where guests can enjoy a music ‘n light fountain show, a family park, cinema and dining along the waterfront. Looking beyond 2021, in November
2020 Whitewater West signed a contract for the construction of Qetaifan Water Park, which is expected to open in 2022 as part of a luxury four-star resort on an island off the coast of Lusail. Of note is that this is the only notable new leisure project in Qatar in the pipeline since 2019. This is not too surprisingly, however,
given the need to prioritise projects related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. All eight stadiums are understood to be either complete or close to completion with the 80,000-seat Lusail Stadium, where the opening ceremony and final will be hosted, due to be the last to be completed
Doha Quest, Qatar.
PARK WORLD Handbook & Buyer’s Guide 2021/22
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