“Commercial cinemas will be allowed to operate in the kingdom as of early 2018, for the first time in more than 35 years,” the culture and information ministry said in a statement on Monday, adding that the government would begin licensing venues immediately.
Reviving cinemas represents a paradigm shift for Saudi Arabia. The kingdom is promoting entertainment as part of sweeping changes known collectively as Vision 2030, which are being implemented despite opposition from conservatives.
“This marks a watershed moment in the development of the cultural economy in the kingdom,” the information minister, Awwad Alawwad, said in the statement.
The ban was made in the 1980s in response to Islamist extremism and as recently as January the possibility of lifting it was was still being dismissed by leading clerics.
The rules on film screenings have been relaxed in recent weeks with some screenings taking place as a precursor to the official lifting of the ban, according to Gulf News.
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