The Prosperous and Political Arts Movement in Saudi Arabia
Barbie stole international headlines in 2023, but especially in Saudi Arabia. Movie theaters were just recently reopened in 2018; this type of establishment was banned for 35 years before AMC Entertainment was allowed to open 40 chains within Saudi Arabia. AMC Entertainment is the largest movie theater chain in the world, and was able to successfully market cinemas to the country’s population before completely handing the operation over to Saudi partners in 2023. After the initial opening of AMC theaters, industry competition quickly grew, with Vox Cinemas and muvi Cinemas also opening theaters.
Although seemingly small, this recent boom of the entertainment industry is proving to be monumental, particularly for the younger generations. Since public entertainment bans were lifted alongside the movie theater bans, the entertainment industry began to grow in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is growing as an arts and culture hub through public displays of art, such as graffiti and light showings, and even the Red Sea Film Festival, an international festival that highlights submissions from Arab, Asian, and African artists. Some modern arts developments include the Red Sea Film Festival, the Incense Road Museum, and the building of an Arts Center in 2016 known as the “King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture” or “Ithra.”The culmination of these initiatives has led to international attention for the country’s creative resurgence.
Many efforts to emphasize involvement in the arts have been directed towards Saudi Arabia's youth, largely because 63 percent of the population is under the age of 30. The main goal of this public effort is to motivate young people to work towards greater arts production in the future. Saudi Arabia has released a “Vision 2030” plan, a proposal that focuses on building and maintaining a successful economy to support local talents for a prosperous future to emphasize the government’s attempts to create an innovative future.
Critics are weary of Saudi Arabia’s seemingly harmless efforts to promote art and cultural activities due to the country’s imperfect human rights reputation. The state has one of the highest death penalty rates in the world, and execution numbers have tripled between 2021 and 2022. There is concern that the nation’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, is promoting arts and entertainment spaces as a way to gain trust and support from young constituents. Critics claim that the increased emphasis on the arts distract from harsh and potentially unpopular policies, like the death penalty, which the current government has utilized increasingly since coming into power.
Whether the cultural renaissance in Saudi Arabia has diverted attention from other primary focuses of the government is yet to be determined. However, the artistic initiatives have promoted open discussion about the impact and importance of art within societies, which is a notable change in the Saudi Arabian community. Graffiti art has been a source of community for Saudi youth, largely due to its accessible viewing and relatively simple graphics. The art trend picked up traction around in the early 2000s, but soon became more organized and gained more prominence in the art scene. In 2022, graffiti artist Noura bin Saidan completed a mural at the Riyadh Zoo. She emphasized the impact of art on her community when she stated “Street art is how we reach people from different classes, ideas and nationalities. Art is an easy way to reach them. It does not need translation.” Evidently, art is a way to bring people together, and the growing graffiti art scene in Saudi Arabia showcases the power shared and celebrated art truly has.
The youth will inevitably determine how this new industry will affect the leadership in coming generations as their power as stakeholders grow. For now, the artistic boom is a stepping stone to bolster creativity that has been minimized for decades. Regardless, if Saudi Arabia continues to foster and support the arts, the country will likely prove to promote the creativity and innovation of many remarkable youthful ambitions for the benefit of the entire Saudi community.