Dubai finally rolled out the red carpet (literally) to welcome the first patrons of its new drive-in theatre by Vox Cinemas at Mall of the Emirates on Wednesday.
While the movie itself (‘Bad Boys for Life’, for the curious) left a lot to be desired, the drive-in concept — located on the third level of the mall, near Ski Dubai — itself was welcomed with an unquenchable thirst as people regaled a monsoon after months of a parched entertainment landscape.
The drive-in concept by Vox Cinemas comes as people are being encouraged to maintain social distancing to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus that has affected global economies, curbed travel and paralysed the entertainment industry.
UAE’S HISTORIC DRIVE-IN THEATRES
Residents of Dubai from the 80s and early 90s would recall the city’s Rex Drive-In Cinema in Mirdif, on Al Khawaneej Road, which was a popular spot for moviegoers, showcasing Hollywood and Bollywood films.
Families would pack up a picnic of home-cooked snacks on Thursday, pile into their cars and drive down the dusty road to Rex for a late-night Bollywood potboiler.