Fancy going to the cinema in Riyadh? Well, there’s only one movie to watch and you can’t go if you’re a woman. However even this is a bit of a step forward, as according to Variety, Saturday night saw the first screening of a movie at a cinema in the Saudi capital for 30 years.
Three decades ago, the Islamic authorities took an increasingly hard line against places where they believed men and woman might mix and therefore be tempted into unholy activities. Cinemas in the capital were shut down, but that changed on Saturday with the screening of Menahi at a government run cultural centre in Riyadh.
Even this was enough to raise the ire of some conservatives, who have issued edicts against such cultural events. Organisers were very careful, manning checkpoints to ensure no women were allowed in (although girls up to 10-years-old were allowed to attend). Apparently the event was briefly disrupted by a man shouting that people shouldn’t spend their money on such decadent pursuits, but he was led away by security.
The screening is part of the gradual loosening of restrictions in the country, which has happened since King Abdullah came to power in 2005. The choice of film might have been influenced by the fact it was produced by the king’s cousin, media tycoon Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who’s ranked as the 14th richest person in the world. He’s been attacked by many hardliners in Saudi, with some proclaiming that he’s as a dangerous as a drug dealer, because some of the TV channels show films.
While there’s been an upsurge in movie production in recent years and other cities in the country do have cinemas, the screening is being seen as a major step forward in the loosening up of the conservative society in its gradual move away from hardline Islamic attitudes.