A UK lighting manufacturer is helping shine a light on Saudi Arabia’s entertainment industry after the Kingdom’s 35-year cinema ban was finally lifted.
Durham-based Artech Lighting has landed a lucrative export deal to supply lighting solutions to a global leisure operator tasked with constructing dozens of state-of-the-art cinemas in the country.
Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, recently overturned a law passed in the 1980s which restricted cinemas from operating in Saudi Arabia, leading to a flurry of overseas investors rushing to invest in the Kingdom’s leisure sector.
Over £2 billion is expected to be pumped into the opening of new cinemas across Saudi Arabia over the next 12 months as a result of this, with overseas developers and suppliers such as Artech vying to gain a foothold in this promising sector.
Artech Lighting has been named as a preferred lighting supplier to the cinema chain, fitting out the initial developments with its linear LED illuminated Steplight solution as well as a number of bespoke products designed specifically for the client.
Stuart Hylton, managing director of Artech Lighting, said: “This is yet another great export win for Artech and we’re delighted to have been named as a preferred lighting supplier for the group’s Saudi developments.
“Over the last two years, we’ve worked hard to establish a reputation for ourselves as a trusted, UK supplier with sustainability at our core and this latest contract win is testament to the hard work that each and every one of our employees has put in to achieving that.”
The contract win is the latest in a string of success stories for Artech Lighting, having previously delivered lighting solutions for a number of high profile projects both in the UK and overseas.
Stuart added: “From unique bespoke lighting solutions to our core range, we’ve delivered lighting and fixtures for hundreds of projects across the globe and the demand for our products is showing no sign of slowing down.
“As a true UK manufacturer, everything we produce is designed, developed and assembled at our plant in Durham and this has played a huge role in our success, especially in terms of increasing our export activity.
“British manufacturing is revered worldwide for its skilled workforce, commitment to innovation and excellent quality and we’re proud that each of our products are stamped with the ‘Made in Britain’ marque.
“Exports currently account for around 10 per cent of our overall sales and, as we look to the future, we’re confident this will continue to rise as we look to expand into new global markets.”