Al Nasr cinema in Dubai. It closed in 2006 and was then gutted by a blaze in 2008.
Inside Al Nasr cinema after it was destroyed by fire. Pawan Singh / The National
The much-loved El Dorado cinema on Abu Dhabi's Sultan bin Zayed the First Street (Electra street) closed in 2017.
Ferdinand Lama, the El Dorado's engineer, standing outside the cinema after it closed.
Film posters inside El Dorado cinema. Its closure was attributed to little online presence and a lack of parking facilities.
Inside the El Dorado cinema on Electra street.
The site of the old El Dorado cinema today. A gym and supermarket have replaced the cinema.
A night-time shot of Golden Cinema (Plaza) in Dubai. It closed in 2015. Navin Khianey / The National
There were once small cinemas across the country. One of which, the Khor Fakkan Cinema, was acquired by Sharjah Art Foundation for use as an arts space. Reem Mohammed / The National
The RAF Sharjah cinema that opened in the 1940s. It is believed to have been the first cinema in modern-day UAE. Courtesy of the Akkasah: Center for Photography
