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Saudi Arabia: Now That Women Can Drive, Could the Kingdom's Cinemas Be About to Reopen Too?

02:10, Wednesday, 17 January, 2018
Saudi Arabia: Now That Women Can Drive, Could the Kingdom's Cinemas Be About to Reopen Too?

The surprise decision by Saudi Arabia's rulers to lift the kingdom's ban on women drivers has reignited the decades-old question of whether cinemas might be reopened.

After months of silence regarding efforts by reformers to lift the ban on movies, the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya channel tweeted Thursday asking if locals were prepared for the return of the silver screen.

"Cinemas are coming to Saudi Arabia. Ready?" the channel tweeted along with an emoji showing popcorn and a winking face, according to Gulf News. The tweet was later deleted.

The suggestive tweet comes days after a landmark decree allowing women to drive was issued. The announcement Tuesday has been interpreted as a sign of changing attitudes in Saudi Arabia since the rise to prominence of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. The young reformer has laid out controversial blueprints to overhaul the kingdom’s economy and society.

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