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twofour54 has hosted the first screening in the MENA region of Hollywood blockbuster Fast and Furious 7, ahead of the film’s general release in the Middle East today.

The VIP event, timed to coincide with the film’s world premiere in Los Angeles, was held at VOX Cinemas at Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi and attended by local crew and staff who worked on the movie while it was in production in Abu Dhabi, as well as twofour54 key project partners including Etihad Airways, Etihad Towers, Emirates Palace, and the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority.

H. E. Noura Al Kaabi, CEO of twofour54 said: “Bringing Fast and Furious 7 to film in Abu Dhabi was not an individual achievement, but a collective one.

“From the camera operators, producers and interns to the ambulance service, police department and catering team, their roles have helped to bring Fast and Furious 7 to our screens and in doing so, they have helped to enhance Abu Dhabi’s reputation as the region’s centre for content creation, even when the project is of the biggest scale. They have also helped to showcase our beloved city to the world.”

She added: “I am very pleased that Abu Dhabi is holding the first screening of Fast and Furious 7 in the Middle East, just as the film’s stars are walking the red carpet in Los Angeles for the world premiere. The efforts of the Abu Dhabi Government to attract international productions are certainly paying dividends, as we are about to witness on the big screen.”

Al Kaabi added: “We, at twofour54, look forward to working with VOX and Universal Studios to bring all of this year’s regional releases from Universal to Abu Dhabi first. We also hope that Universal will return to Abu Dhabi with more of their filming productions in the future.”

17 Abu Dhabi entities come together to support filming of Fast and Furious 7

In addition to Etihad Airways, which flew all cast and crew into Abu Dhabi for filming, and Etihad Towers, where parts of the film’s stunts were shot, a number of Abu Dhabi government entities worked together to facilitate the filming of Fast and Furious 7 in the Emirate.

For example, the Ruler’s Representative Court Western Region granted approval to film in the Western Region, while Department of Transport, Abu Dhabi Municipality and Abu Dhabi Police together handled street closures, signage, closing street lights for filming purposes and ensured safety and security across all locations.

Other Abu Dhabi entities that helped to facilitate filming included the Department of Presidential Affairs, Department of Finance, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company (ADNEC) and the Centre of Waste Management (Tadweer).

Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority also played a key role in the Fast and Furious 7 filming in Abu Dhabi. “Abu Dhabi is rapidly emerging as a must visit destination for travellers looking for new and unique experiences and this Hollywood movie has created substantial international exposure by highlighting some of our diverse range of attractions,” said Jasim Al Damarki, Acting Director General, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi).

Al Damarki added: “The number of visitors from the US last year grew 37% on the previous 12 months in 2013 and we hope to see even more travellers choose to explore our emirate this year after viewing the film, especially as CNN.com also named Abu Dhabi as among their Top Ten destination picks for 2015.”

Arab young talents make the most of Fast and Furious 7 in Abu Dhabi

twofour54 arranged a number of internships for UAE Nationals with the Fast and Furious 7 production, as part of its commitment to developing the Arab media talent of the future.

Eeman Al Ansari, an intern who worked on the set of Fast and Furious 7, said: “I met with delegates from twofour54 and was delighted to learn about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I worked in the production office prior to filming and handled everything from assisting with travel arrangements to making identifications for the cast and crew. During filming I was a script supervisor, and got an incredible insight into how films are made.”

Omar Al Muflahi, another intern on the Fast and Furious 7 production in Abu Dhabi said: “This was my first ever experience on a large film production project and I learned a lot throughout the internship. I was able to learn from different departments and different people from all over the world, who come from diverse professional backgrounds.”

Omar’s experience clearly impressed the Photography Director and Unit Production Manager, as they offered him a job, to be part of a future production.

In addition to Fast and Furious 7, twofour54 has attracted a number of major film productions over the last two years including Star Wars: Episode VII, Bang Bang and Deliver Us from Evil. Global television programmes such as The Bold and the Beautiful and BBC’s Top Gear have also been filmed in the Emirate.

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