Saudi Arabia began issuing licences yesterday to operate movie theaters in the kingdom ahead of their reopening, after a decades-long ban was lifted as part of a far-reaching liberalization drive.
The kingdom's culture and information ministry said it had "finalized the terms of licensing to restore cinema in Saudi Arabia."
"Licensing commences immediately," the ministry added.
Major cinema chains are seeking to break into the market of more than 30 million people, the majority of whom are under 25, the Times of Israel reported.
The move is another step towards opening the Saudi market to regional and international theater chains, which have long eyed the kingdom as the Middle East’s last untapped mass market.
