Saudi Arabia said Monday that it would allow cinemas to operate in the strictly conservative kingdom for the first time in decades, in the latest sign of a broader government push to relax some social restrictions.
In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information said the process of licensing commercial movie theaters — banned since the early 1980s — was underway and the first theaters would open early next year.
The move is part of a social and economic reform program led by Saudi Arabia’s 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is increasingly at the helm of the kingdom’s planning even though his father, King Salman, remains the ultimate authority.