Riyadh – Mubasher: Saudi Arabia announced plans to establish 200 to 300 movie theatres by 2030, with an average of seven screens for each, the General Authority for Entertainment’s (GEA) CEO Faisal Bafarat said.

The kingdom has major plans to boost the recreation industry locally, Bafarat told Bloomberg in an interview.

Saudi officials met with more than 180 recreation companies since government officials began a visit to the US, the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority’s (SAGIA) governor, Ibrahim Al Omar stated.

GEA previously announced signing five deals with top global entertainment firms during a summit held in Los Angeles titled "The Future of Entertainment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia".

The agreements involved companies such as Cirque du Soleil, IMG, Feld Entertainment, and National Geographic.

Earlier on Thursday, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) noted that its wholly-owned unit Development and Investment Entertainment Company signed a contract with AMC to inaugurate 30 to 40 cinemas across 15 cities in Saudi Arabia during the coming five years, in addition opening 50 to 100 cinemas by 2030.