Cinema, reborn from zero
From 0 cinema screens in 2017 to 700+ at 60+ locations across 16 governorates
محور Vibrant Society2 مصدراًآخر تحقّق 2026-05-18
ⓘ بعض الفقرات معروضة بالإنجليزيّة في انتظار الترجمة
المؤشّر الرئيسي
Cinema, reborn from zero
700+
2025From 0 cinema screens in 2017 to 700+ at 60+ locations across 16 governorates
من بين الناشرين: SPA · Arab News
القصّة
قبل
Commercial cinema had been closed in Saudi Arabia since the early 1980s. In 2017, there were no operating cinema screens nationwide.
المبادرة
Cinema licensing resumed in 2017 with the establishment of GEA. International chains (AMC, VOX) and Saudi operators opened theaters.
النتيجة
Saudi now has 700+ cinema screens across 60+ locations in 16 governorates. The cinema box office exceeds SAR 1B annually.
للمواطنين
A weekend night at the cinema with family — a small ordinary pleasure unavailable for nearly four decades — is now part of Saudi life again.
محطّات زمنيّة
2017
Cinema licensing resumed; 0 operating screens
2018
First commercial cinema opens (AMC, Riyadh)
2025
700+ screens across 60+ locations
مكتبة الأدلّة · 2 مصدراً
مرتّبة بحسب التصنيف، الأحدث أوّلاً
An entertainment industry, built from zero
89 million visits to events and venues in 2025
89M+
Riyadh Season — country's biggest festival
13 million visits to the multi-month festival in 2024-2025
13M
Saudis employed in entertainment
100,000+ direct jobs in the entertainment sector
100K+
MDLBeast Soundstorm — biggest Saudi music festival
700,000+ attendees at a single multi-day festival
700K+
المبادرة: General Entertainment Authority (GEA); Quality of Life Program; commercial cinema licensing reform. فئة الأثر على المواطن: Cultural life.