The first attempt to create a movie theater in Bahrain was in 1922, on the initiative of Bahraini businessman Mahmood Al Saati.

He imported a projector and set up a makeshift cinema at a cottage on the north coast of Manama.

[3] Initially, the introduction of cinemas drew criticism from elderly citizens who stated that it "would destroy traditional values".

[5] A 20-screen cinema complex was constructed in the Bahrain City Centre, the largest such cineplex in the Middle East.

[5][6] In July 2015, the country's first IMAX theatre was opened in Seef Mall Muharraq under Novo Cinema.