It will be a lot easier for Saudis to see films on the big screen now the theater ban has been lifted. DUBAI—Saudi Arabia Monday lifted a decades-old ban on movie theaters in the kingdom, a move that opens the conservative kingdom to Hollywood-style entertainment. Saudi Arabia’s ministry of culture and information said commercial cinemas will start operating in early 2018, and by 2030 the kingdom expects to have 300 cinemas with over 2000 screens. The end of the ban is the latest example of sweeping change unfolding in a country that still adheres to an austere form of Islam. It coincides with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s efforts to modernize the economy and to attract more foreign investment. The decision stemmed from the country’s ambitious plan to reduce its oil dependence, called Vision 2030, according to the ministry of […]