Saudi Arabia screens 'The Emoji Movie' after lifting 35-year cinema ban

Cinemas were banned in early 1980s under pressure from Islamists as Saudi turned towards a conservative religion

Saudi Arabia began screening feature-length animated children’s films this weekend in a makeshift theatre, after a 35-year-old ban on cinemas was lifted in the conservative Islamic kingdom.

The first permanent theatres could open as early as March, part of a liberalising reform drive that has already opened the door to concerts, comedy shows and women drivers over the past year.

For now, the authorities are sponsoring temporary settings, like the state-run cultural hall in the Red Sea city of Jeddah equipped with a projector, a red carpet and a popcorn machine.

“Until now, there is no infrastructure for movie theatres,