Saudi Arabia Lifts Ban On Movie Theatres At Last

Saudi Arabia is to have its first public cinemas in more than 35 years, after the government announced on December 11 that it was lifting its ban on movie theatres.

The move was announced by the General Commission for Audio-visual Media, chaired by minister of culture and information Dr. Awwad bin Saleh Al-Awwad. According to the government statement, the licensing process for cinema operators will start within 90 days.

It will not be a free-for-all and the type of films that will be screened is likely to be tightly circumscribed. The Ministry of Culture and Information has said that films “will be subject to censorship according to media policy standards of the kingdom” and in line with its strict social code.

There are several reasons for the changes, not least the hope that the country can develop a stronger cultural and entertainment sector. Music concerts are now becoming relatively common in Saudi Arabia and the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) promotes a wide range of events in cities around the country.

The development of the domestic leisure industry may persuade Saudis to spend more money inside the kingdom, rather than heading to more liberal cities in the surrounding region, such as Dubai and Manama, the capital of Bahrain. The Saudi government estimates that the cinema sector will contribute more than SR90bn ($24bn) to the country’s economy by 2030, creating 30,000 permanent jobs and 130,000 temporary jobs in the process.

The idea of cinemas being licensed has been floated many times over the years, including in April this year when Ahmed al-Khatib, chairman of the GEA, said “We'll get there. I know how. I don’t know when.”

Despite the formal ban, some film festivals have been held in the country in recent years and local directors have produced some notable works that have done well internationally, including the 2012 film Wadjda by director Haifaa al-Mansour and, more recently, Barakah Meets Barakah by director Mahmoud Sabbagh.