The first cinemas in Saudi Arabia will open in March 2018, lifting a ban that has lasted more than 35 years. Women will also be allowed to attend, though under certain conditions.
The ban on cinemas, in force in Saudi Arabia since the 1980s, will no longer apply from 2018. This was announced by Minister of Culture and Information Awwad bin Saleh Alawwad, who stated that "the General Commission for Audiovisual Media has begun the process of issuing licences to cinemas in the kingdom." By 2030, the aim is to open more than three hundred screens: the first are expected to be ready by March next year.
The ban had been introduced out of fear that cinemas would screen "immoral" films, encourage contact between men and women, and in the belief that they represented a threat to the country's cultural identity. Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, however, who championed the reopening of cinemas, believes that entertainment is essential to meeting the needs of young people. Moreover, "cinemas will act as a catalyst for economic growth and diversification," said Minister bin Saleh Alawaad. It is expected that over the coming years they will create more than 30,000 jobs.
Ahmed al-Khatib, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, had already declared to news agency Reuters back in April that his goal was to offer the Saudi population forms of entertainment "99 per cent similar to those in London and New York," while acknowledging that such a change would not happen overnight. Al-Khatib added that the majority of the country's citizens — around eighty per cent — are moderate: they love to travel, they want to go to the cinema and to concerts.
Prince Mohammad Bin Salman is the driving force behind Vision 2030, a reform plan aimed at modernising Saudi Arabia and strengthening its economy. Two significant victories have already been achieved in this regard: from 2018, women will be allowed to drive and attend football stadiums. The reopening of cinemas is another piece of this journey. It is not yet known which films will be screened, and it is likely that men and women, at least initially, will be seated separately, but it will nonetheless be a gathering place for young people and families. It may seem a small thing, but the hope is that it could improve citizens' quality of life and social relations, and ensure greater respect for their rights. We all know, after all, how enjoyable it is to watch a long-awaited film with a bowl of popcorn, in good company, from the comfort of cinema seats.
