Saudi Arabia hosted its first public film screening in over 35 years on Friday, two days after US movie giant AMC unveiled the kingdom’s debut theatre in Riyadh.
Clutching prized tickets for what AMC said was a sold-out showing of Hollywood blockbuster action film “Black Panther”, men and women walked into the movie hall with tubs of popcorn and fizzy drinks.
Families huddled around movie posters to take selfies, soaking up an experience that is mundane in most parts of the world but a novelty in the ultra-conservative desert kingdom.
Saudi Arabia lifted a decades-long ban on cinemas last year as part of a far-reaching modernisation drive, with AMC Entertainment granted the first licence to operate movie theatres.
AMC chief executive Adam Aron on Wednesday said its multiplex theatre at Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District will for now operate one screen with a seating capacity of around 250.
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Source: Seychelles News Agency
