Grab your popcorns: Saudi Arabia raises curtains for its first commercial movie screening Saudi Arabia

Riyadh, April 19: Lifting up the long stretched ban on cinema, Saudi Arabia finally raises curtains after 35 years displaying its first commercial movie theatre on Wednesday. The lights dimmed and the crowd of men and women erupted into applause and hoots Wednesday evening as Hollywood’s blockbuster “Black Panther” premiered in Saudi Arabia’s first movie theater.

 

Tickets will go on sale on Thursday for the first public viewings on Friday.

Moving into an era of social and economic reform, the crown prince has eased restrictions on many aspects which earlier prevailed in Saudi. The opening marks another milestone for reforms spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to open the country culturally and diversify the economy of the world’s top oil exporter.

Calling this event as historic, many people expressed happiness and gratitude towards the prince for allowing cinema back after a long time.

The kingdom shuttered cinemas in the early 1980s under pressure from Islamists. In 2017, the government said it would lift the ban in part to retain money that Saudis currently spend on entertainment during trips to Dubai, Bahrain and elsewhere.

To serve a population of more than 32 million, most of whom are under the age of 30, the authorities plan to set up around 350 cinemas with over 2,500 screens by 2030, which they hope will attract nearly $1 billion in annual ticket sales. Initial screenings are likely to be for families, with occasional ones for bachelors.

The extent of censorship was not clear but a Saudi official said the same versions of films shown in Dubai or Kuwait will be suitable for Saudi Arabia.