The official announcement has been made that Saudi Arabia will be lifting its ban on public movie theaters. As a result, such businesses are expected to start operating in March of 2018, thus providing a richer selection of entertainment options as well as new economic opportunities. Furthermore, it will be interesting to see the impact of public movie theaters on the cinema of Saudi Arabia, which produces no more than a small number of documentaries and feature films on an annual basis at the moment.
Why Is Saudi Arabia Lifting Its Ban on Movie Theaters?
A significant segment of Saudis have been pushing for a lifting of the ban on public movie theaters for some time. In part, this is because there is plenty of demand for movies in Saudi Arabia, as shown by the enormous number of Saudis who watch movies via either VHS, DVDs, satellite, or one of the other options that are available to them. However, it should be mentioned that there are also Saudi film-makers and other figures of note who are irked by the fact that media about Saudi tends to lack Saudi voices, meaning that they want public movie theaters because they will contribute to the creation of a true Saudi cinema. As for why there has been so much opposition to public movie theaters in Saudi Arabia, there are those who have called it a symbolic issue of sorts in the sense that Saudi conservatives see it as a fireline, which is something that has been said of granting driving privileges to Saudi women as well.
Regardless, it is no secret that public movie theaters are being permitted because of the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who has rather ambitious plans for Saudi Arabia. One example is Saudi Vision 2030, which is a plan to reduce Saudi Arabia’s reliance on oil through a combination of development and diversification. Given that tourism is one of the economic sectors that will be receiving particular attention, it is perhaps unsurprising that the ban on public movie theaters is being lifted, though it should be noted that there are other reasons as well. With that said, while this measure should be seen in a positive light, people in the West should refrain from seeing bin Salman as nothing but an uncomplicated reformer, seeing as how his plans extend far beyond a measure of social and economic liberalization.
Further Considerations
As or the lifting of the ban on public movie theaters, it should come as no surprise to interested individuals to learn that such businesses will still be subject to censorship for adherence to Saudi Arabia’s strict moral and religious laws. Furthermore, it is unclear what other rules that public movie theaters will have to operate under, with important questions ranging from what sort of movies will be permitted to be shown to whether men and women will be segregated. Whatever the case, the lifting of the ban on public movie theaters is a positive step, but people should never see it for more than what it is.
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