Carnegie Mellon student launches movie theater app for Qatar
DOHA, QATAR: Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar’s (CMU-Q) Abubaker Omer has created a mobile app for movie lovers in Qatar. ‘Qatar Movies’ is a tool for film enthusiasts to find movie listings and timings in Qatar theaters and to share them with friends.
Omer first thought of the idea when he tried to coordinate with a friend to see a movie: “When my friend comes from abroad we go to the cinema quite frequently, and I always get annoyed when we are outdoors and I have to turn on my data plan to be able to see showtimes of movies. I told my friend, I can create a mobile app that you can use to see showtimes even when you’re offline.”
A computer science student, Omer created the app for him and his friend at the beginning of the semester in January 2019. Through word of mouth, people around Qatar began downloading Qatar Movies. By the end of the semester, he had gained more than a thousand users.
“People were really happy with the simplicity and ease of use of the app. My initial objective was making my friend and myself happy through offline mode, and I made hundreds happy by chance. It was a delightful surprise.”
As the app has gained popularity, he has devoted his time and energy to improving the functionality and adding features. Available for download both on Apple and Google stores, Qatar Movies allows users to filter by showtime, genre or language, and the latest data is automatically updated and remains visible, even when offline.
Other useful features include the ability to watch trailers, check IMDB ratings, share showtimes with friends via WhatsApp and other messaging services, and even book tickets at some theaters. The app allows users to book their Uber to the theater, or find the location through Waze or Google Maps.
“I hope more users enjoy the app. And if you ask me what’s next: it’s making app users even happier,” says Omer.
Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar follows the curriculum for Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science, which is recognized as a world leader in different areas of computer science education. Students in the Computer Science Program acquire skills that transcend technological trends. The program encourages creativity and provides the fundamental skills to develop new technologies.