Saudi Arabia’s ambitious move to become a global entertainment hub, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), is facing significant setbacks. Despite cutting ticket prices by as much as 50%, cinemas in the kingdom have suffered steep financial losses. This comes amid a broader attempt by the Saudi government to use entertainment as a tool to improve MBS’s image both domestically and internationally. However, critics argue that the entertainment push is a distraction from the country’s deeper economic issues, and many Saudis seem uninterested in the costly projects intended to transform their country’s conservative culture.
Cinemas Struggle to Attract Audiences
Saudi Arabia’s foray into the cinema industry has been nothing short of a financial disaster. Recent reports indicate that cinemas in the kingdom have lost more than half of their projected revenue in the first half of this year. Sales amounted to 421.8 million riyals, far below expectations, even after significant reductions in ticket prices. Cuts of between 30% and 50% in ticket costs were implemented to lure more Saudis into theaters, but the strategy has failed to reverse the declining interest.
This downturn comes as part of a broader entertainment initiative launched by MBS, who has been trying to reshape the kingdom’s social and cultural landscape through ambitious projects such as Neom and his Vision 2030 plan. However, the lukewarm reception of these entertainment ventures suggests that the public’s appetite for such projects may not be as strong as anticipated.
Entertainment as a Distraction
Cinemas are just one part of a larger effort by MBS to promote entertainment and the arts in Saudi Arabia. Under the leadership of his advisor, Turki Al-Sheikh, the kingdom has invited a host of international artists, musicians, and filmmakers in an attempt to foster a more open and modern cultural environment. MBS has made headlines by hosting high-profile concerts, film festivals, and even training initiatives with Hollywood directors. The Saudi government has also introduced a generous 40% cash rebate for filmmakers to encourage international movie production in the country.
However, critics argue that MBS’s entertainment push is less about modernizing Saudi Arabia and more about distracting the public from growing economic concerns. Rising poverty and unemployment have taken a toll on the kingdom, and some believe that the government’s entertainment spending is an attempt to shift focus away from these issues. The entertainment push is seen by many as a form of reputation laundering—an effort to improve MBS’s image in the West by appearing to liberalize Saudi society while ignoring the real problems facing the country.
Financial and Cultural Costs
The entertainment sector has been costly for Saudi Arabia. In the past year alone, the Saudi Cultural Fund spent $233 million on films, concerts, and other events. MBS’s Vision 2030 plan includes over 3,800 entertainment events, costing more than $64 billion. A significant portion of these funds is being used to develop a cinema industry from the ground up. For example, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which MBS chairs, spent $30 million acquiring a 100% stake in the U.S. cinema chain AMC. The fund’s entertainment arm, SEVEN, plans to manage 85 cinema screens across the kingdom and has announced a $50 billion investment in building 21 entertainment destinations, including over 150 amusement parks in 14 cities.
Despite these large investments, the cinema industry, in particular, has yet to take off. Sources report that attendance remains low, and ticket sales are underwhelming. Part of this may be due to the cultural resistance many Saudis feel toward the rapid shift in their country’s social landscape. For decades, Saudi Arabia’s conservative society, guided by strict Islamic values, had banned cinemas and other forms of public entertainment. The sudden influx of Western-style entertainment, concerts, and films has left many Saudis feeling alienated and disconnected from the new cultural norms being pushed by the government.
Repression and Control in the Entertainment Sector
While MBS has worked hard to liberalize Saudi Arabia’s entertainment industry, there is a darker side to his efforts. Sources have revealed that the Saudi government has detained social media influencers who were hired to promote cinemas and other entertainment projects. Some influencers were reportedly held at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh and threatened with imprisonment if they failed to sufficiently promote MBS’s vision. This coercive tactic has drawn criticism, with some arguing that the government’s approach to promoting entertainment is more about controlling the narrative than fostering genuine social change.
Additionally, Saudi authorities are closely monitoring social media platforms like Snapchat, which has over 20 million users in the kingdom. Influencers who fail to praise MBS or his initiatives are subjected to questioning and, in some cases, denied licenses to monetize their content. Critics argue that these tactics are designed to maintain government control over the conversation surrounding Saudi Arabia’s rapid modernization, ensuring that dissenting voices are silenced.
A Misguided Gamble?
MBS’s entertainment initiatives, particularly the cinema industry, have so far failed to deliver the desired results. Despite massive financial investment, the Saudi public seems largely uninterested in the new entertainment offerings. The cinema industry’s dismal performance is a telling sign that MBS’s broader cultural revolution may not be resonating with the public as he had hoped.
As the kingdom continues to pour billions into entertainment, the question remains: is this spending truly benefiting Saudi society, or is it merely a distraction from the deeper economic and political issues that persist? For now, it seems that MBS’s gamble on entertainment has left many Saudis unconvinced, with cinemas symbolizing the broader challenges of his Vision 2030.
