They have long been among the most cited criticisms of Saudi Arabia's "ultraconservative" culture: women being barred from driving and the ban on cinemas.
Those criticisms will soon be silenced, starting with the opening the kingdom's first cinema in 35 years in Riyadh on April 18.
Licensed women drivers will take to the roads two months months later, also as part of the reforms being implemented by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman since last year to attract investment to the kingdom and end its dependence on oil revenues.
Although both changes seem equally momentous, the commercial screening of films will not have as much economic impact as the boost to the workforce provided by self-driving women, nor is it as liberalising as outside viewers might perceive it to be.
In a world of Netflix, satellite TV and YouTube, the opening of cinemas in the Saudi Arabia is nothing more than an entertainment novelty, akin to the planned opening of a Six Flags park in 2022. Aside from having one of the highest levels of social media engagement among the youth, Saudi Arabia has the highest rate of online television viewership in the region, with a quarter of the population saying they use the medium.
But for many Saudis who have not travelled outside the country, April 18 will bring their first opportunity to view rolling credits on the big screen. Going to the cinema will join public concerts, of which 5,000 are planned over the next year, as entertainment options citizens will be allowed to enjoy as part of the kingdom’s push to invest $64 billion in the local industry.
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Cinemas and other entertainment outlets at home will also help Saudi Arabia retain what has long been considered a huge drain on its economy.
The King Fahd bridge connecting the kingdom with relatively liberal Bahrain is thronged at the start of weekends with Saudis seeking respite from the restrictions at home. The drive from Dammam to Bahrain that thousands make daily in about an hour, takes several hours extra on Thursday evenings.
Bahraini authorities have issued no statistics on the influx, but the sheer number of Saudi licence plates seen on the island at weekends is a clear indicator of its size.
Similarly, Saudis spend almost half a billion dollars in Dubai, drawn by many of the entertainment options that are planned to built in the kingdom by 2030.
With the majority of Saudi Arabia's 32 million population under the age of 31, the opening of cinemas alone would allow it to retain about $1 billion (Dh3.67bn) in annual box-office spending.
That will be the main significance of the move, as Saudis have already had access to films, not only on the internet and television but also on the big screen. While commercial licences were banned in early 1979 - a moment Prince Mohammed said “exploded everything” - there were no laws regarding film screenings.
Films have been shown in the kingdom for decades, just not in commercial settings. Often, children's films would be shown in small theatres, such as at cultural centres around the country, or with projectors and pull-down screens.
The kingdom has also hosted a series of film festivals over the years, as well as a burgeoning film industry that submitted entries for Oscar recognition in 2013 and 2016.
However, when the first films are shown in cinemas this month, possibly Ready Player One or The Emoji Movie, according to sources close to the theatre operator, Saudis will finally be able to enjoy an entirely innocent pastime free of fear of the religious authorities.
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Under 19 World Cup
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
More on Palestine-Israeli relations
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
The specs: 2018 GMC Terrain
Price, base / as tested: Dh94,600 / Dh159,700
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 353Nm @ 2,500rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.4L / 100km
The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
