The Middle East’s largest FEC operating company is spreading its interests into Spain and Portugal where it intends to have as many as 20 locations operating inside five years.
Al Hokair Holdings has established a European headquarters in Madrid under the management of Eduardo Agudo. The offshoot is a separate company named Amusement Yards SL, 95 per cent owned by the Saudi group.
The European project started quietly in 2018, but it has already opened one (last year) Extreme Park location in Puerto Venezia, one of the top five shopping malls in Spain at Zaragoza. Having been closed for several weeks through the pandemic, the Zaragoza location reopened for business last week.
And now the company is about to open its second location, to be named Neoon, at the UBBO shopping mall in Lisbon, the Portuguese capital.
The Zaragoza location is principally a trampoline venue, with a ninja circuit, 360 VR attraction and a variety of skill games, including air hockeys and football tables.
The Neoon venue opens in early July and will be dominated by a tag arena interactive playground developed by iPlayCo of Canada. It consists of a number of challenges for adults and children, with the ability to score points as they complete the obstacle circuit. The location also has a 400 sq. m. children’s playground; a QubicaAMF six-lane bowling venue, two escape rooms, a VR room and a range of skill games, football tables, basketball, air hockey, kiddie rides, but no redemption as it is not legal in Portugal.
Eduardo Agudo told InterGame: “We hope to open on July 1, but it depends on the arrival and installation of the final attractions that we are bringing in. It has not been easy putting the project together with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic over the past few months.”
He added: “Personally, I think that Europe has a lot of potential for an experienced and well-respected FEC operator of the calibre of the Al Hokair Holdings. We have a very interesting market here with a great deal of opportunity for leisure at a time when fashion and retail are shrinking.”
The projects in Spain and Portugal, he said, are being put together by the Al Hokair team in Saudi. “They have specialists there with a huge amount of experience, knowledge and great purchasing power. Locally, we have external partners, including a service design agency, and considerable legal and administrative support.”
