AMC to Open Saudi Arabia’s First Movie Theater

The first movie theater is slated to open in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, later this month on April 19. Furthermore, the company says that it expects to open around 40 theaters in the next five years and 100 by 2030.

The large-scale move is the latest in a number of social and economic reforms driven by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salam under the Vision 2030 banner. According to 

The New York Times

 the program aims to “open up the kingdom’s economy and near-total dependence on oil.” Most recently, in December, Saudi Arabia overturned a 35-year-old law that made movie theaters illegal.