Cinemas set to reopen in Saudi Arabia after 35-year ban

DPA, 11th DECEMBER, 2017-The first movie theatre in Saudi Arabia can open in March, the Ministry of Culture and Information said Monday, lifting a 35-year-old ban on cinemas in the country.

The Board of the General Commission for Audiovisual Media, the kingdom’s regulator, agreed to grant licences to cinemas, in the latest decision by the world’s top oil exporter this year to diversify the economy and introduce social reforms. The move is part of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan, launched by Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which aims at opening the country to investments and decrease its reliance on oil revenues.