Regulations for cinemas okayed

THE Commission for Audio-Visual Media has approved regulations for licensing cinemas in the Kingdom.

The approval came at a meeting in Riyadh on Thursday that was presided over by Dr. Al-Awwad Bin Saleh Al-Awwad, minister of culture and information and chairman of the board of directors of the commission.

The regulations specify three kinds of licenses: Setting up a cinema hall, license for operating cinemas, and license for operating both kinds of mobile and fixed cinemas, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.

The commission’s approval of the licensing regulations followed completion of all conditions and considerations in coordination and cooperation with various pertinent government authorities and commissions, like the ministries of interior, finance, and municipal and rural affairs; the Civil Defense, Saudi Customs, and Saudi Arabian Standards and Specifications Organization.

Al-Awwad stressed that the cinema sector is important for enriching culture and creativity. 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. Apart from this, the sector will open up new job opportunities for the citizens and enrich the entertainment options in the Kingdom.

Dr. Al-Awwad further said that the objective is to set up a media industry that is not only capable of competing against the best information markets in the region, but also protect the audience from inappropriate content.

He added that the re-launching of cinema halls in the Kingdom is a turning point toward building a cultural economy and reviving the cultural scene in the Kingdom. The aim is also to benefit from Saudi talents and capabilities and establish a society that is vibrant with life through strategies that support the local content.