Riyadh's new entertainment body could revive Saudi cinema

Saudi movie director Mamdooh Salem said that he was looking forward to seeing movie theatres and music concerts in Saudi Arabia following the establishment of the General Authority for Entertainment.

King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud on Saturday reshuffled the cabinet and established the authority with Ahmad Bin Aqeel Al Khateeb, Adviser at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, as the Chairman of its board of directors.

Salem said that the invigoration of the cultural scene in the kingdom was a major component of the 2030 vision announced last week.

The producer, who was the head of the youth film festival, the first of its kind for the production of movies in the kingdom, said that the authority for entertainment needed to provide the proper settings and advanced facilities for entertainment that can attract world shows and generate the interest in all age groups.

Salem said that Saudi society needed entertainment in the arts, dramas and movies sectors, “the most significant choices for Saudis when they travel abroad.”

 “There are strong indications that the next five years will witness a huge development in the area of culture and arts in Saudi Arabia,” he said. “All cultural and literary clubs should review their plans and visions and update them in order to boost the cultural and entertainment sectors now that we have the authorities for culture and entertainment,” he said.

Hats off to the King for taking this step ….