Saudi Arabia has lifted a 35-year-old ban on movie theaters. Movie theaters were first shut down during the 1980s after ultra-conservatism swept the nation. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced Saudis will now be able to attend movie theaters next year.
Saudi Arabia on Monday lifted a decades-in length restriction on cinema or Movie theatres, some portion of a progression of social changes by the effective crown ruler that are shaking up the ultra-preservationist kingdom.
The administration said it would start authorizing cinemas quickly and the first movie theatres are expected to open next March, in a choice that could help the kingdom’s nascent film industry.
Restoring films would speak to a change in perspective in the kingdom, which is advancing excitement as a major aspect of a broad change anticipate a post-oil period, in spite of restriction from hardliners who have since a long time ago criticized motion picture theaters as disgusting and evil.
“Commercial cinemas will be allowed to operate in the Kingdom as of early 2018, for the first time in more than 35 years,” the culture and information ministry said in a statement.
“This denotes a watershed minute in the advancement of the social economy in the kingdom,” the announcement cited Information Minister Awwad Alawwad as saying.
Saudi Arabia is expected to have more than 300 cinemas – with over 2,000 screens – all across the kingdom by 2030, the ministry said.
Like most open public places in the kingdom, film lobbies are are expected to be segregated by gender or have a separate section for families.