(18 Apr 2018) Saudi Arabia held a private screening on Wednesday of the Hollywood blockbuster "Black Panther" to herald the launch of movie theaters in the kingdom, and tickets go on sale Thursday for public showings on Friday.
Authorities planned the invitation-only event in a concert hall converted into a cinema complex in the capital, Riyadh.
The screening, attended by both men and women, will be followed by a rush to build movie theaters in major cities.
The Saudi government dubbed Wednesday's event as "the showing of the first commercial film in the kingdom after more than 35 years."
Audience members clearly enjoyed the moment, eating popcorn and erupting into applause and hoots when the movie started.
It's a stark reversal for a country where public movie screenings were banned in the 1980s during a wave of ultraconservatism that swept Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi government projects that the opening of movie theatres will contribute more than 90 billion riyals (24 billion US dollars) to the economy and create more than 30,000 jobs by 2030.
The kingdom says there will be 300 cinemas with around 2,000 screens built by 2030.

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