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 A red carpet invitation-only gala event attracted senior
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 theater
and watch movies the way they're supposed to be watched: on a
big screen," he told Reuters ahead of the screening.
The smell of buttery popcorn filled the air as confetti rained
down through the multi-story atrium where Aron and Saudi
Minister of Culture and Information Awwad al-Awwad announced the
launch and proceeded into the 450-seat hall.
The opening marks another milestone for reforms spearheaded by
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to open the country culturally
and diversify the economy of the world's top oil exporter.
The prince, 32, has already eased restrictions in the last two
years, including on public concerts, women driving and gender
mixing. The kingdom held its first-ever fashion show last week
with a women-only audience.
Many Saudis have rejoiced at the end of the cinema ban, sharing
praise and pictures of Prince Mohammed on social media.
Others expressed confusion at what they consider a government
flip-flop, with one tweeting on Wednesday: "Remember you will
stand in front of God ... and you will bear the sins of all
those who watched the movies."
Some religious conservatives view cinema and acting as
inconsistent with Islam.
There has been little apparent resistance to the social reforms,
which seemed unthinkable just a few years ago, though the space
for criticism is also limited. Several prominent clerics were
arrested last year in an apparent bid to silence dissent.
BUILDING A FILM INDUSTRY
Among Wednesday's movie-goers was Princess Reema bint Bandar, a
second cousin of Prince Mohammed, who brought her 16-year-old
son to experience what she called "an historical moment".
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The kingdom shuttered cinemas in the early 1980s under pressure from
Islamists as Saudi society embraced a severe form of Islam.
Saudis have nonetheless been avid consumers of Western media and
culture. Hollywood films and television series are widely watched at
home and private film screenings have been largely tolerated for
years.
In 2017, the government said it would lift the ban in part to retain
money that Saudis currently spend on entertainment during 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.
A source told Reuters last month that theaters would not be
segregated by gender like most other public places in Saudi Arabia.
Awwad, the culture minister, told Reuters on Wednesday that they
would be similar to cinemas around the world. Initial screenings are
likely to be for families, with occasional ones for bachelors.
The extent of censorship was not clear but a Saudi official said the
same versions of films shown in Dubai or Kuwait will be suitable for
Saudi Arabia. Two scenes of kissing appeared to have been cut from
the "Black Panther" screening.
Asked about possible conservative backlash to cinemas, Awwad said
the government was focused on creating investment opportunities.
"For those that would like to come and enjoy watching the movie at
the movie theater, they are more than welcome," he said. "And for
those who don't want to watch movies at all, it's also their
personal choice."
(Additional reporting by Marwa Rashad and Sarah Dadouch; Editing by
Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Dan Grebler)
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