Lebanese company Robert’s Group is due to open its first family entertainment centre in Iraq next month. The selected location, with a local partner, is a standalone outlet with 40 games and is in Baghdad.
The new unit is currently in the final stages of completion and will be the subject of a formal opening on a date to be set by the company. Robert’s Group, founded by Robert Elias, a noted Lebanese operator and distributor, is now run by his son, Georges as COO and he plans a string of locations across Iraq, notably with a 3,000sq.ft flagship store in 2014.
“Most amusement outlets in Iraq,” said Elias, “are actually restaurants with a small area set aside for a few games. We believe that ours will be the first purpose-built FEC to enter the market.”
A full report on the company’s investment in Iraq and its other activities will appear in InterGame’s Middle East Special Issue in April.
