The Saudi plan for theme parks and cinemas

Dr Theodore Karasik and Giorgio Cafiero highlight the challenges for Saudi Arabia's ambitious plans for an expanding entertainment sector

A female shopper wearing traditional Saudi Arabian dress stands in the doorway of the Salvatore Ferragamo store at the Kingdom Centre shopping mall in Riyadh. Simon Dawson / Bloomberg

Vision 2030 is Saudi Arabia’s ambitious plan to end the kingdom’s reliance on the hydrocarbon sector via intense reforms. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that Saudis can enjoy prosperous, healthy, happy and sustainable lives in a future beyond oil.

Vision 2030 identifies entertainment as “indispensable to our quality of life” and the sector is a pillar of the kingdom’s plans for economic diversification.

Recognising that “entertainment opportunities currently available do not reflect the rising aspirations of our citizens and residents, nor are they in harmony with our prosperous economy”, Vision 2030 calls for the creation of a vibrant entertainment sector that can “suit tastes and preferences” while attracting foreign investment and providing “many job opportunities” for Saudis.

A year ago, the royal court ordered the establishment of the General Authority for Entertainment. Last year, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation began discussions about building entertainment facilities in the kingdom, including a half-a-billion-dollar theme park. Within the past six months, motor sports, music shows and even a World Wrestling Entertainment event have been staged in Riyadh, Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City.

Last month, the Saudis unveiled plans for an “entertainment city”, a 129-square-mile plot south of Riyadh, which will include a Six Flags theme park, plus cultural, sports and recreational facilities including cinemas, concert venues, golf courses and resorts. Work is likely to begin next year. Its expected opening date is 2022. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund will provide most of the funding.

Amr Al Madani, the head of the entertainment authority, explained that Saudi Arabia’s goal is to have at least 450 clubs throughout the kingdom, offering cultural activities and a variety of events by 2020, promising the creation of 100,000 new jobs.

But the push to grow the entertainment sector is controversial, especially among the religious establishment. Since the 1980s, when Saudi Arabia became increasingly conservative amid a rise of Islamist forces across the Middle East, cinemas have been illegal.

The grand mufti warned this year that legalising cinemas and concerts may lead to “mixing of sexes” and “atheistic or rotten” influence in the kingdom.

Later, however, Saudi Arabia’s religious authority seemed to have softened his stance when he said that plans for growing the kingdom’s entertainment sector “will be dealt with wisely”.

With Mohammed bin Salman, the deputy crown prince, leading the transformation, there have been concerts in the country, which have left clerics unhappy. The deputy crown prince has stated that only a small percentage of Saudi clerics are too rigid to engage in a dialogue to back the Vision 2030 plans for investing in entertainment ventures. Over half of the religious scholars can be converted through dialogue and the rest either have no interest or are not in a position to cause any serious problems, according to Prince Mohammed.

The deputy crown prince has already stripped the anti-vice committee of the right to make arrests and he seeks to increase female labour participation in the market to 30 per cent. Saudi clerics see Vision 2030 as exposing the kingdom to corrupt influences and as chipping away at their authority.

Reintroducing cinemas would, on the other hand, be popular with younger Saudi citizens.

Three-quarters of Saudis are under the age of 30 and half are younger than 25. Although the deputy crown prince is taking risks in challenging the clerics, the voices of Saudi youth are becoming stronger, which is a fact that needs to be considered as entertainment becomes more readily available.

Saudi Arabia’s gender separation also comes into focus because of the implications of a growing entertainment industry. Prince Mohammed understands this and has devised plans for dealing with such social challenges.

Simultaneously, older clerics know that they may need to be careful in how they voice opposition to the reintroduction of cinemas and other ventures in the entertainment sector. Prince Mohammed has already warned that action will be taken against extremist clerics who advocate violence against these plans.

Ultimately, given that the clerics must respect the ruling family, many in the religious establishment will come under pressure to accept new policies in the kingdom.

The more hardline clerics who do not accede to the leadership’s vision may well disrupt the transformation with their complaints about cinemas and other entertainment venues.Unquestionably, as Prince Mohammed moves forward with plans to reduce Saudi Arabia’s reliance on oil, it will be tough to grow the entertainment sector while keeping concerned extremist clerics isolated.

Giorgio Cafiero is the chief executive of Gulf State Analytics, geopolitical risk consultancy in Washington, DC

On Twitter: @GulfStateAnalyt

Dr Theodore Karasik is senior adviser to Gulf State Analytics

On Twitter: @tkarasik