Riyadh: Cinemas in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) have generated 919 million Saudi Riyals (Rs 20,36,85,03,104) in ticket sales in the year 2023, Arabic daily Okaz reported.
In 2023, Saudi cinema saw 234 films released in 65 theaters, with 17 million tickets sold, a 25 percent increase from 2022.
Oppenheimer topped the highest-grossing film list in the Kingdom, followed by ‘Sattar’.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the lifting of cinema prohibition in 2017 as part of the Vision 2030 reform agenda, aiming to enhance quality of life and diversify the economy.
In April 2018, Saudi Arabia lifted its cinema ban as part of extensive reforms across the Kingdom.
AMC Entertainment, the first American cinema to operate in Saudi Arabia in 35 years, premiered Marvel’s Black Panther, attracting a mixed crowd.
Since 2018, the Saudi cinema sector has experienced significant growth, with 627 screens in 69 theatres across the country, catering to a population of 32.2 million people.
In November 2023, Empire Cinema opened its cinema multiplex in Madinah, marking the city’s first branch.
Since then, the Saudi exhibition sector has experienced a surge as the country seeks to decrease its reliance on oil by diversifying its economy and easing its conservative cultural norms.
