(MENAFN) As the kingdom continues to push through social and economic reforms, Saudi Arabia is will invest USD64 billion in its promising entertainment sector in the coming decade, a Saudi official said.
Ahmad bin Aqeel al-Khatib, the General Entertainment Authority chief, said the money will come from both the government and the private sector.
More than 5,000 events are planned for 2018 said the authority earlier this week.
"We are already building the infrastructure," Khatib said, adding that an opera house was already in the works. "God willing, you will see a real change by 2020."
A number of steps have been made to liberalize the ultra-conservative Muslim country. In December, it was announced the first movie theaters will open in 2018-with cinemas having been banned since the 1980s. Announcing the move, Minister for Culture and Information Awwad bin Saleh Alawwad said he expected the theaters to open in March.
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