Saudi Arabia has decided to allow movie theaters to open for the first time in 35 years, the NYT reports. The movies screened are still to subject to the censorship laws of the country's Culture and Information Ministry. Long seen as a source of depravity, movie theaters were instead replaced by satellite TV and on-demand viewing. The decision to open up theaters is part of the country's effort to move away from economic dependence on oil. This should be very interesting for Saudi Arabia and Arab cinema in general which will now have an increased theater audience.











