RIYADH: Saudi Arabia launched its first commercial movie theatre on Wed­n­esday, ending a nearly 40-year ban on cinemas under a push by the crown prince to modernise the country.

A red carpet invitation-only gala event attracted government officials, foreign dignitaries and select industry figures to watch Marvel’s superhero movie Black Panther on a 45-foot screen at a converted symphony concert hall in Riyadh.

Tickets will go on sale on Thursday for the first public viewings on Friday, according to Adam Aron, chief executive of operator AMC Entertainment Holdings.

“Saudis now are going to be able to go to a beautiful theatre and watch movies the way they’re supposed to be watched: on a big screen,” he said.

Confetti rained down thro­­ugh the multi-storey atrium as he and the Saudi information minister announced the official launch of the theatre and proceeded into the 450-seat movie hall.

The opening marks another milestone for reforms spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to open the country culturally and diversify the economy.

The prince, 32, has alrea­­dy eased restrictions in the last two years, including on public concerts, women driving and gender mixing.

Saudis have been avid consumers of Western media and culture. Despite the cinema ban, Hollywood films and television series are widely watched at home and private film screenings have been largely tolerated for years.

Building a film industry

The Saudi government said last year it would lift the ban as part of reforms that aim to keep money in the country that Saudis currently spend on entertainment in trips to Dubai, Bahrain and elsewhere.

To serve a population of more than 32 million, most of whom are under the age of 30, the authorities plan to set up around 350 cinemas with over 2,500 screens by 2030, which they hope will attract nearly $1 billion in annual ticket sales.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2018