Saudi Arabia did not ‘ban cinemas in January 2022’

Fb posts shared lots of of occasions in January 2022 claimed Saudi Arabia had completely banned cinemas from working within the kingdom, reversing a 2017 resolution to permit them to function. These posts are false; as of February 16, 2022, Saudi Arabia’s leisure authority has not introduced any ban on cinemas. Two cinema chains informed AFP they proceed to function within the kingdom and had been promoting tickets for cinema showings as of February 16.

The declare was posted on Fb on January 23, 2022.

It has been shared greater than 400 occasions.

The Hindi-language put up interprets to English as: “Breaking information, Saudi Arabia has determined to impose a everlasting ban on cinema halls. Now Saudi shall be prefer it was beforehand, the blessing of Allah stays upon us.”

A screenshot of the deceptive put up taken on February 7, 2022.

Saudi Arabia lifted a decades-long ban on cinemas in late 2017, a part of a sequence of social reforms within the ultra-conservative kingdom, AFP reported. 

It has since seen vital development in film ticket gross sales, with income totalling $238 million in 2021, a 95 per cent improve from the earlier 12 months, Selection journal reported.

Related posts have additionally been shared on Fb right here and right here.

Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia’s Basic Leisure Authority has not introduced any everlasting ban on cinemas on its web site as of February 16, 2022. 

Two cinema chains working in Saudi Arabia individually informed AFP their film theatres remained open.

Vox Cinemas, which runs a series of cinemas throughout the Center East and North Africa area together with in Saudi Arabia, stated on February 10: “Cinemas are operating as normal and claims are false.”

AMC Cinemas, which operates ten film theatres within the kingdom together with within the capital Riyadh, stated on February 10: “It isn’t true that we’ve closed down, we’re nonetheless working as you may see on our web site, we’ve multilabel films and showtimes.”

AFP additionally discovered each cinema operators had been nonetheless promoting film tickets in Saudi Arabia on their web sites as of February 16, 2022.