It's getting more official by the day. Cinemas are definitely opening in Saudi Arabia, after being banned for decades.
On Friday, Saudi media reported that the kingdom's Commission for Audio-Visual Media has officially approved regulations for licensing cinemas throughout the country.
Dr. Al-Awwad Bin Saleh Al-Awwad, minister of culture and information and chairman of the board of directors of the commission explained that "the cinema sector is important for enriching culture and creativity," according to Saudi Gazette.
"It is also a catalyst for the services and entertainment sector and will contribute to achieving economic diversity and open the way for a huge local market of 30 million people," he explained.
"The sector will open up new job opportunities for the citizens and enrich the entertainment options in the Kingdom."
The new regulations have created three types of licenses. These are licenses for 1) setting up a cinema hall, 2) operating cinemas, and 3) operating both kinds of mobile and fixed cinemas, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
And the licensing process will move forward very quickly now, according to ministry leaders.
“Licencing commences immediately,” the culture and information ministry said in a statement.
In December, Saudi Arabia >officially announced the end of the long-standing ban on cinemas.
At the time, Al-Awwad said he expected "the first cinemas to open in March 2018," which is this month.
The announcement ended months of speculation on the matter. Over the past year, the kingdom has been pushing traditional boundaries surrounding entertainment options.
In 2016, the kingdom established the General Entertainment Authority, headed by Amr al-Madani, to enhance the cultural and entertainment sector within the country.
Al Madani >said early last year that the ban on cinemas would be lifted in the country, revealing that movie theaters were expected to open soon.
In addition to cinemas, there have been major improvements in the entertainment sector. These initiatives come as part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which focuses on diversifying the country's economy.
Led by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salam, the ambitious blueprint has already led to major >transformations throughout the kingdom.