Dubai, United Arab Emirates-: Majid Al Futtaim Distribution is proud to announce a new distribution partnership with Universal Pictures International (UPI), the international distribution arm of Universal Pictures. Effective February 1, 2023, Universal movies will now be released in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the GCC and Egypt by Majid Al Futtaim Distribution, one of the largest film distributors in the region and a subsidiary of Majid Al Futtaim Leisure, Entertainment & Cinemas.
This new deal realigns the release of Universal Pictures International movies in the Middle East and will see Majid Al Futtaim release such titles as M. Night Shyamalan’s thriller Knock At The Cabin, Super Mario Bros movie, Renfield, Fast & Furious 10 and Trolls 3 to name a few next year.
The new deal with Majid Al Futtaim builds on Universal’s longstanding distribution partnership with highly respected distributor Four Star Films who will continue to release all Universal titles in Lebanon and Cyprus.
Paul Higginson, Executive Vice President, EMEA for Universal Pictures International said: “This is a very exciting time for cinema in the Middle East with the investment and audience interest at unprecedented levels. We are thrilled to be partnering with Majid Al Futtaim, one of the most ambitious and forward-thinking Groups in the region.”
Ignace Lahoud, Chief Executive Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Leisure, Entertainment & Cinemas added, “This strategic partnership reaffirms Majid Al Futtaim’s commitment to deliver compelling content and the ultimate cinematic experience to cinemagoers in the region. We are proud to collaborate with Universal Pictures International (UPI), which has a long legacy of producing commercially successful and critically acclaimed movies. We look forward to bringing their impressive slate of blockbuster films and popular movie franchises to the big screen and working together to grow the Middle East’s cinema industry with films that attract a large and diverse audience.”
Niels Swinkels, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Universal Pictures International said: “We are delighted to continue our distribution partnership in Lebanon and Cyprus with Four Star Films, who have been our trusted and exemplary partner in the region for over 40 years. We are proud of and extremely thankful for the dedication and friendship of Hikmat and Elias Antypas and their teams and look forward to our ongoing, strong relationship.”
Majid Al Futtaim Leisure, Entertainment & Cinemas operates more than 600 screens across eight markets in the Middle East as well as a portfolio of world-class experiences including Ski Dubai, Magic Planet and Dreamscape. In addition to being the region’s largest and most rapidly growing exhibitor, it operates a large regional film distribution business.
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