Hope for cinemas in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is not the ideal tourist destination if you crave access to public cinemas. The only means to accessing such a luxury in the kingdom are sneaky coffee shops, satellite television and home DVDs. Trips to nearby Bahrain and United Arab Emirates to access such facilities are not out of the question.

The city of Jiddah recently showed a comedy film "Manahi" to a very appreciative audience. This public act was conducted with the blessings of the local governor. But the showing was preceded by a visit from local authorities to make sure men and women were segregated and conformed to the rigorous ethical standards of the country. Women were awarded seating on the balcony while men hunched up on the ground floor.

While the Minister for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (why didn't they have one in Harry Potter?) initially expressed disapproval at this decision, he seems to have backed down from his hardline stance. He now concedes that as long as this model of segregation and appropriate movie content can be replicated, he may be willing to extend such cinemas to the rest of the country. Don't hold your breath.