Saudi Arabia lifts 35-year ban on public theatres
It was a grand day for movie enthusiasts in Saudi Arabia as the conservative kingdom lifted a 35-year-old ban on public theatres. The first multiplexes are expected to open in March next year, the Ministry of Culture and Information has said. The country aims to open 2,000 screens in over 300 cinemas by 2030. Saudi had banned theatres in the 1980s under Islamist rule.
The 1980s brought an era of conservatism to Saudi Arabia
During the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979, militants took power of Mecca's Grand Mosque, ushering in an era of conservatism and strict Islamic codes. Most forms of public entertainment were banned. Clerics were given more control over agencies like schools and courts. Just this year, a mufti warned of "depravity" of cinemas. The Saudi royal family has adhered to the austere Wahhabism.
Movies as a source of revenue in a struggling economy
But now, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's 'Vision 2030' program aims to bring in fresh revenue and diversify the economy. Under the program, theatres are being reopened. The ministry expects to garner a domestic market of 32mn people. Overall, the Middle East has witnessed a significant rise in box office in the last few years. A comic-con in Jeddah in February'17 attracted 10,000 people.
2018 was a year of many firsts for Saudi
Saudi had many firsts this year, including the authorities sponsoring concerts, allowing women to drive, attend sporting events and issue fatwas, and welcoming Sophia, the first robot citizen in the world, with Saudi citizenship.
Now that licenses have been approved, will it go smoothly?
Today, the board of General Commission for Audiovisual Media passed a resolution allowing grant of licenses to cinemas. Earlier, Prince Mohammed had said Saudi would again be "a country of moderate Islam open to all religions, traditions and people". There are concerns about censorship, but the General Entertainment Authority aims to create entertainment "like 99% of what's going on in London and New York."
