Saudi Arabia lifts cinema ban, directors and movie chains rejoiceRIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia lifted a 35-year-old ban on cinemas on Monday, prompting celebrations from film fans, directors and movie chains eyeing the last untapped mass market in the Middle East. The first theaters could start showing films as early as March, the government said, part of a liberalizing reform drive that has already opened the door to concerts, comedy shows, and women drivers over the past year. Cinemas were banned in the early 1980s under pressure from Islamists as Saudi society turned towards a particularly conservative form of the religion that discouraged public entertainment and public mixing between men and women. But reforms led by 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have eased many of those restrictions, as the government tries to broaden the economy and lessen its dependence on oil.  Opening cinemas will act as a catalyst for economic growth and diversification,  said Minister of Culture and Information Awwad bin Saleh Alawwad.  By developing the broader cultural sector we will create new employment and training opportunities, as well as enriching the Kingdom s entertainment options.  In a nod to conservatives, the government said the films would be censored to make sure they remain  in line with values and principles in place and do not contradict with Sharia Laws and moral values in the kingdom.  The details of that censorship were not announced, but could be extensive in a country where images of women are often crossed out on advertising. There was no immediate reaction from the kingdom s Wahhabi clergy and conservative groups, who have responded to past suggestions about bringing back cinema with outraged social media campaigns. Public objections to the reforms have been more muted in recent months, after authorities launched a spate of arrests clamping down on critics of the program. Up to now, the kingdom s film pioneers have had to focus on foreign markets to get their works shown.  Saudi Arabia is always in the news, but it s nice to be in the news in this way,  said Los Angeles-based Saudi director Haifaa Al Manour, who released the first full-length feature shot entirely in the kingdom, Wadjda, in 2012.  I feel like we re about to relive what Egypt was like in the  50s,  she said, referring to the explosion of film-making in what is now the epicenter of Arabic popular cinema. Prince Mohammed has also sought to promote a more tolerant form of Islam and crack down on extremism, a cause Mansour said would be furthered by films.  If you want to fight terrorism, you need to give people a love of life. A love of life comes from joy, and cinema is joy.  Thousands of Saudis currently travel to Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and other countries for their entertainment. The government has said it wants to retain the money spent on those trips. Regional cinema chains have also been eyeing the Saudi market, keen to tap the spending power of the young people who make up roughly 70 percent of the kingdom s population. Dubai-based mall operator Majid Al Futtaim, which owns the VOX Cinemas chain, said it wanted to open the first movie theater there.  We are very happy about this announcement, as you can imagine, we have been waiting for it for quite some time,  said chief executive Alain Bejjani. The government said it expected to open more than 300 cinemas with more than 2,000 screens by 2030, building an industry that would contribute more then 90 billion riyals ($24 billion) to the economy and create 30,000 permanent jobs over the same period. A commission chaired by Alawwad will announce details of licensing and regulations over the next few weeks, it added. Locations for the first cinemas are still under study, but would likely be in top population centers, Fahad al-Muammar, the supervisor of cinema in the kingdom s General Commission for Audiovisual Media, told state TV al-Ekhbariya. ($1 = 3.7502 riyals) worldnews
saudi arabia lifts cinema ban directors movie chains rejoiceriyadh reuters saudi arabia lifted ban cinemas monday prompting celebrations film fans directors movie chains eyeing last snapped mass market middle east the first theaters could start showing films early march government said part liberalizing reform drive already opened door concerts comedy shows women drivers past year cinemas banned early pressure islamists saudi society turned towards particularly conservative form religion discouraged public entertainment public mixing men women but reforms led crown prince mohammed bin salman eased many restrictions government tries broaden economy lessen dependence oil opening cinemas act catalyst economic growth diversification said minister culture information away bin sales alawwad by developing broader cultural sector create new employment training opportunities well enriching kingdom entertainment options in nod conservatives government said films would censored make sure remain line values principles place contradict sharia laws moral values kingdom the details censorship announced could extensive country images women often crossed advertising there immediate reaction kingdom wahhabi clergy conservative groups responded past suggestions bringing back cinema outraged social media campaigns public objections reforms muted recent months authorities launched spate arrests camping critics program up kingdom film pioneers focus foreign markets get works shown saudi arabia always news nice news way said los saudi director halifax al manor released first feature shot entirely kingdom wadjda i feel like revive egypt like said referring explosion epicenter arabic popular cinema prince mohammed also sought promote tolerant form islam crack extremism cause manor said would furthered films if want fight terrorism need give people love life a love life comes joy cinema joy thousands saudi currently travel bahrain united arab emirates countries entertainment the government said wants retain money spent trips regional cinema chains also eyeing saudi market keen tap spending power young people make roughly percent kingdom population mall operator maid al futtaim owns vox cinemas chain said wanted open first movie theater we happy announcement imagine waiting quite time said chief executive alain bejjani the government said expected open cinemas screens building industry would contribute billion rivals billion economy create permanent jobs period a commission chaired alawwad announce details licensing regulations next weeks added locations first cinemas still study would likely top population centers had supervisor cinema kingdom general commission audiovisual media told state tv rivals worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Saudi Arabia lifts cinema ban, directors and movie chains rejoiceRIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia lifted a 35-year-old ban on cinemas on Monday, prompting celebrations from film fans, directors and movie chains eyeing the last untapped mass market in the Middle East. The first theaters could start showing films as early as March, the government said, part of a liberalizing reform drive that has already opened the door to concerts, comedy shows, and women drivers over the past year. Cinemas were banned in the early 1980s under pressure from Islamists as Saudi society turned towards a particularly conservative form of the religion that discouraged public entertainment and public mixing between men and women. But reforms led by 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have eased many of those restrictions, as the government tries to broaden the economy and lessen its dependence on oil.  Opening cinemas will act as a catalyst for economic growth and diversification,  said Minister of Culture and Information Awwad bin Saleh Alawwad.  By developing the broader cultural sector we will create new employment and training opportunities, as well as enriching the Kingdom s entertainment options.  In a nod to conservatives, the government said the films would be censored to make sure they remain  in line with values and principles in place and do not contradict with Sharia Laws and moral values in the kingdom.  The details of that censorship were not announced, but could be extensive in a country where images of women are often crossed out on advertising. There was no immediate reaction from the kingdom s Wahhabi clergy and conservative groups, who have responded to past suggestions about bringing back cinema with outraged social media campaigns. Public objections to the reforms have been more muted in recent months, after authorities launched a spate of arrests clamping down on critics of the program. Up to now, the kingdom s film pioneers have had to focus on foreign markets to get their works shown.  Saudi Arabia is always in the news, but it s nice to be in the news in this way,  said Los Angeles-based Saudi director Haifaa Al Manour, who released the first full-length feature shot entirely in the kingdom, Wadjda, in 2012.  I feel like we re about to relive what Egypt was like in the  50s,  she said, referring to the explosion of film-making in what is now the epicenter of Arabic popular cinema. Prince Mohammed has also sought to promote a more tolerant form of Islam and crack down on extremism, a cause Mansour said would be furthered by films.  If you want to fight terrorism, you need to give people a love of life. A love of life comes from joy, and cinema is joy.  Thousands of Saudis currently travel to Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and other countries for their entertainment. The government has said it wants to retain the money spent on those trips. Regional cinema chains have also been eyeing the Saudi market, keen to tap the spending power of the young people who make up roughly 70 percent of the kingdom s population. Dubai-based mall operator Majid Al Futtaim, which owns the VOX Cinemas chain, said it wanted to open the first movie theater there.  We are very happy about this announcement, as you can imagine, we have been waiting for it for quite some time,  said chief executive Alain Bejjani. The government said it expected to open more than 300 cinemas with more than 2,000 screens by 2030, building an industry that would contribute more then 90 billion riyals ($24 billion) to the economy and create 30,000 permanent jobs over the same period. A commission chaired by Alawwad will announce details of licensing and regulations over the next few weeks, it added. Locations for the first cinemas are still under study, but would likely be in top population centers, Fahad al-Muammar, the supervisor of cinema in the kingdom s General Commission for Audiovisual Media, told state TV al-Ekhbariya. ($1 = 3.7502 riyals) worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: saudi arabia lifts cinema ban directors movie chains rejoiceriyadh reuters saudi arabia lifted ban cinemas monday prompting celebrations film fans directors movie chains eyeing last snapped mass market middle east the first theaters could start showing films early march government said part liberalizing reform drive already opened door concerts comedy shows women drivers past year cinemas banned early pressure islamists saudi society turned towards particularly conservative form religion discouraged public entertainment public mixing men women but reforms led crown prince mohammed bin salman eased many restrictions government tries broaden economy lessen dependence oil opening cinemas act catalyst economic growth diversification said minister culture information away bin sales alawwad by developing broader cultural sector create new employment training opportunities well enriching kingdom entertainment options in nod conservatives government said films would censored make sure remain line values principles place contradict sharia laws moral values kingdom the details censorship announced could extensive country images women often crossed advertising there immediate reaction kingdom wahhabi clergy conservative groups responded past suggestions bringing back cinema outraged social media campaigns public objections reforms muted recent months authorities launched spate arrests camping critics program up kingdom film pioneers focus foreign markets get works shown saudi arabia always news nice news way said los saudi director halifax al manor released first feature shot entirely kingdom wadjda i feel like revive egypt like said referring explosion epicenter arabic popular cinema prince mohammed also sought promote tolerant form islam crack extremism cause manor said would furthered films if want fight terrorism need give people love life a love life comes joy cinema joy thousands saudi currently travel bahrain united arab emirates countries entertainment the government said wants retain money spent trips regional cinema chains also eyeing saudi market keen tap spending power young people make roughly percent kingdom population mall operator maid al futtaim owns vox cinemas chain said wanted open first movie theater we happy announcement imagine waiting quite time said chief executive alain bejjani the government said expected open cinemas screens building industry would contribute billion rivals billion economy create permanent jobs period a commission chaired alawwad announce details licensing regulations next weeks added locations first cinemas still study would likely top population centers had supervisor cinema kingdom general commission audiovisual media told state tv rivals worldnews