Saudi Arabia lifts ban on commercial cinemas

Riyadh, December 11: Finally! Saudi Arabia on Monday lifted the ban on commercial cinemas that has lasted more than three decades. Notably, the government in Saudi Arabia said that the public cinemas in the country would be allowed in the Kingdom and the first cinemas were likely to open early next year. 

 

The Board of the General Commission for Audiovisual Media (GCAM), which is chaired by the Minister of Culture and Information Awwad Alawwad, passed a resolution on Monday allowing the authority to grant licenses to cinemas.

The Minister of Culture and Information of Saudi Arabia Awad bin Saleh Alawwad in a statement said, “As the industry regulator, the General Commission for Audiovisual Media has started the process for licensing cinemas in the Kingdom.” In addition, the ministry is expecting to open first cinemas by March 2018.

Minister Alawwad said, “This marks a watershed moment in the development of the cultural economy in the Kingdom.” “Opening cinemas will act as a catalyst for economic growth and diversification; by developing the broader cultural sector we will create new employment and training opportunities, as well as enriching the Kingdom’s entertainment options,” he added.

Interestingly, the announcement from Saudi government comes as a part of the Vision 2030 social and economic reform program in the Kingdom and also follows the announcement that women in the Kingdom will be allowed to drive come June 2018.

Earlier in the 70s, cinemas were commonplace in Saudi Arabia and while they were mostly perceived as contradictive of Arab cultural norms, they were not banned. In Riyadh, there is a very small industry, producing mostly feature films and documentaries.