Aqeel Jawad Sultan, Managing Director of the Jawad Sultan Group of companies, traces the beginning of
cinema exhibition in Oman and talks to Oman Vistas of plans to further entertainment in the Sultanate.
Started three decades ago, Jawad A Sultan, founder and chairman of the Jawad Sultan group of companies, Oman Arab Cinema Company has come a long way since then.

"We were the pioneers in the film exhibition business,” says Aqeel. “It was the dream of my father that made the entertainment aspect of people's life our business,” he added.

The focus of Oman Arab Cinema Company has always been on entertainment. And to keep up with time, the group kept offering newer and more diverse facilities and amenities to the people.
Aqeel believes that Oman's entertainment scenario has a huge potential for market growth. “To match this,
entertainment has to be continuously revolutionized in a big way and we are doing it through our massive well chalked out plans."

MODEST BEGINNINGS

Tracing the beginnings of Oman Arab Cinema he says, "We opened Oman Plaza in Ruwi (presently the Kentucky Fried Chicken building in Ruwi) in the year 1975 opposite to the Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Ruwi. This was followed by the opening of Al Nasr in 1978, which was an open air theatre for a brief while, before being rebuilt as Al Nasr. Even today, Al Nasr, which screens films from the subcontinent, is the single largest capacity theatre in the Sultanate of Oman.

The response from the people was positive and this encouraged the group to strive to bring better entertainment to people with newer product, services and better expertise. “To give people the key to a world of great lifestyle,” the group created a new breed of luxurious multiplexes and set up on 15 August, 2000, the ultra modern multiplex cinema complex - Al-Shatti Plaza in Shatti al-Qurum.

"It was a major milestone and I can say that we were well on our way to revolutionize the way cinema operates in Oman" Aqeel says. Al Shatti Plaza has three screens with a total seating capacity of 640 seats. Here Hollywood and Arabic movies are screened. It has the latest in sound and acoustics including Dolby Digital, DTS and Sony Dynamic Digital Sound equipment, which was a first in Oman. The complex has three screens of which Plaza 1 can seat 270 people, Plaza 2 and Plaza 3 have seats for 185 viewers each.
The facilities at the plaza include an amusement and recreation for toddlers and young children, a beauty saloon, Sinbad Amusement center in the basement and Cone Zone, an ice-cream parlor. An Italian coffee shop Café Barbera has already come up in the premises, Aqeel says.

This venue is also used to hold special screenings on a regular basis. Depending on the target audience of the client the plaza picks a movie and sends invites to their guests. The screen is then blocked for the client specifically for a particular show. Facilities for launches, press conference, media meets, prize distribution and small scale performances are also provided at the plaza.

LOOKING AHEAD

When asked about new projects, Aqeel says, "A new beginning was made with the recent inauguration of our new cinema in Sur called Al Wafi Plaza, Sur. The theatre has two screens and a total seating capacity of 400. The lobby of the theatre is big enough to accommodate a small function or a launch. The cinema complex also consists of shopping space and a restaurant space.

"The next expedition now moves to Sohar, the most talked about destination,” Aqeel says. Work on the Sohar cinema will commence during the first week of August. The project comprises a full fledged shopping mall, four screens and a food court and is scheduled for completion before mid-2008. This project will establish Oman Arab Cinema's superior brand of service he says. “The new theatre will host a range of exciting innovations which will unify shopping, dining and cinema and offer people richer, more engaging experiences."

In a separate development, the Al Nasr Cinema is expected to undergo massive transformation and will be upgraded with the addition of four new screens in lieu of one main auditorium and the existing mini cinemas. The renovation is scheduled to be taken up during the first quarter of 2008.

The group is also working feverishly on a major project to be located in the heart of the city with six screens, a food court and a shopping mall. Equipped with the latest technology, it will offer first class facilities to the discerning client. This project is expected to have several “firsts” and will really be one of its kind in Oman, Aqeel promises.

He also plans to add to Film City, Oman Arab Cinema’s DVD/VCD rental outlet, currently having two branches in Qurum and Muttrah. Film City will also open a new retail outlet in Sur.

The desire to entertain people in better ways is what drives Aqeel. "Through our wealth of experience in entertainment, we are always keen to provide people with better entertainment,” he says. “We are very enthusiastic about offering people new, trendier and enjoyable cinema entertainment - mega-style."