Saudi Arabia Lifts 35-year Ban on Movie Theaters

Saudis will soon be able to go to the movies for the first time more than 35 years.

From early next year, commercial movie theaters will be granted licenses, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture and Information said in a statement on Monday. It expects the first cinemas to open their doors in March.

“This marks a watershed moment in the development of the cultural economy in the Kingdom,” Minister of Culture and Information Awwad Alawwad said in the statement.

Saudi Arabia is undergoing an economic overhaul under Vision 2030 — a blueprint for what the economy could look like over the next decade to reduce its reliance on oil.

The government hopes that opening movie theaters will act as a catalyst for economic growth and diversification, creating new employment opportunities and providing Saudis with a greater range of entertainment options.

Read full article by Zahraa Alkhalisi on CNN Money, December 11, 2017.