Saudi Arabia to open cinemas in 2018 after 35-year hiatus

Saudi Arabia’s first commercial cinemas in more than 35 years could open as early as March next year, the Ministry of Culture and Information (MOCI) said on Monday.

The Board of the General Commission for Audiovisual Media (GCAM), chaired by the Minister of Culture and Information Awwad Alawwad, has passed a resolution allowing GCAM to grant licenses to cinemas, including commercial providers.

“As the industry regulator, the GCAM has started the process for licensing cinemas in the Kingdom. We expect the first cinemas to open in March 2018,” Alawwad said.

Further details on licensing and regulations will be announced over the next few weeks, the Ministry of Culture said in a statement.

The measure comes as part of the Vision 2030 social and economic reform program, under which the country has implemented changes such as allowing women to drive starting of June 2018, it added.

Vision 2030 aims to increase Saudi household spending on cultural and entertainment activities from 2.9 percent currently to 6 percent by 2030.

The move opens up a domestic market of over 32 million people. It is anticipated that by 2030 the Kingdom will have opened over 300 cinemas, with over 2,000 screens, the ministry said.

“The cinema industry will have an economic impact that will increase the size of the media market, stimulate economic growth and diversification by contributing more than SAR billion ($23.99 billion) to GDP, creating more than 30,000 permanent jobs and more than 130,000 temporary jobs by 2030,” the statement said.

This is the first time that cinemas have been licensed in the country since their ban in the early 1980s.

“Opening cinemas will act as a catalyst for economic growth and diversification; by developing the broader cultural sector we will create new employment and training opportunities, as well as enriching the Kingdom’s entertainment options,” Alawwad said.