麻豆约拍

Authorities in Saudi Arabia are lifting a ban on public cinemas after an absence of more than three decades. Cinemas were closed in the 1970s under pressure from hardline clerics.The first commercial cinemas are expected to re-open in March 2018. The 麻豆约拍 Arabic's Hanan Razek explains the social and economic impact of the decision.

(Photo: A Saudi man holds up his entrance ticket to see the Saudi comedy film 'Manahi' at a theatre in Jeddah on December 18, 2008. Credit: Omar Salem/AFP/Getty Images)