Six Flags Entertainment's announcement that it plans to build a theme park in Saudi Arabia comes on the heels of the formation of the General Authority for Entertainment, which is now considering opening cinemas to families.
It's a quick one-two punch that gives Saudis a reason to celebrate entertainment options that had required them to leave the country. And it increases the likelihood that Saudis will spend their money here rather than elsewhere.
This is a good thing for Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government under the direction of Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is moving quickly to find solutions to the economic hurdles the country faces to close the gap of the 2016 fiscal year's $98 billion deficit. So how does broadening Saudis' entertainment options help the economy?
Before we get into that, it must be said that when push came to shove, the government acted swiftly and decisively in negotiating with Six Flags to bring a theme park, or perhaps more than one, to Saudi Arabia. And it is moving quickly to address the issue of movie theaters opening throughout the country. It seems obvious that the government always had the will to implement plans for greater entertainment in the Kingdom, but was waiting for the right time and with the right person to take action.
Prince Mohammed, who has demonstrated that he is not a man to wait around for things to happen but instead is the engine that generates action, is the right person. He took our economic difficulties in late 2015 and 2016 as the right time to push for social reform. That is, a significant economic event had to occur to motivate the conservatives to acquiesce to the demands of Saudi society. And in this case Saudi society is not a single monolithic entity married to a specific set of cultural standards and traditions, but a group of people with varied interests.
A cursory examination of the new generation of Saudis provides plenty of evidence that Saudis' interests in politics, social customs, marriage, employment and globalization vary widely. It's disingenuous to cling to the outdated viewpoint that all Saudis desire the same things in life. It's the quality of life that matters, which means that Saudis should choose how to live their lives in conformity with their personal beliefs and within the structure of Islam.
Theme parks and cinemas will fulfill Saudis' basic need for entertainment. It will get them out of the house and away from computer games. It will increase socialization among families and friends. And more importantly it will offer an outlet and diversion for those individuals who otherwise may be consumed with boredom and frustration that may lead to religious extremism.
But let's not be so naive as to think that we are moving along into the 21st century with the rest of the world, and that we are being rewarded with bright lights and bells and whistles to keep us happy.
Quality entertainment, in which a top-tier amusement company provides the best attractions and a movie theater chain screening family-friend entertainment, means that Saudis will not leave the Kingdom for Dubai to see movies in the theater or spend their money at lavish tourist attractions. That money will stay at home.
Domestic tourism and keeping Saudi riyals inside our borders is part of the Vision 2030 plan to reduce the country's dependence on oil revenue. The Commission for Tourism and National Heritage hopes to increase tourism spending to $46 billion annually by 2020 from the current $8 billion per year.
If Six Flags is successful in developing a theme park that is sensitive to Saudi cultural customs, then other major companies will follow suit.
The economic downturn could be considered a blessing in disguise because it prompted plenty of soul-searching about the needs of Saudis, both socially and economically, and spurred the government to act quickly.
It's a quick one-two punch that gives Saudis a reason to celebrate entertainment options that had required them to leave the country. And it increases the likelihood that Saudis will spend their money here rather than elsewhere.
This is a good thing for Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government under the direction of Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is moving quickly to find solutions to the economic hurdles the country faces to close the gap of the 2016 fiscal year's $98 billion deficit. So how does broadening Saudis' entertainment options help the economy?
Before we get into that, it must be said that when push came to shove, the government acted swiftly and decisively in negotiating with Six Flags to bring a theme park, or perhaps more than one, to Saudi Arabia. And it is moving quickly to address the issue of movie theaters opening throughout the country. It seems obvious that the government always had the will to implement plans for greater entertainment in the Kingdom, but was waiting for the right time and with the right person to take action.
Prince Mohammed, who has demonstrated that he is not a man to wait around for things to happen but instead is the engine that generates action, is the right person. He took our economic difficulties in late 2015 and 2016 as the right time to push for social reform. That is, a significant economic event had to occur to motivate the conservatives to acquiesce to the demands of Saudi society. And in this case Saudi society is not a single monolithic entity married to a specific set of cultural standards and traditions, but a group of people with varied interests.
A cursory examination of the new generation of Saudis provides plenty of evidence that Saudis' interests in politics, social customs, marriage, employment and globalization vary widely. It's disingenuous to cling to the outdated viewpoint that all Saudis desire the same things in life. It's the quality of life that matters, which means that Saudis should choose how to live their lives in conformity with their personal beliefs and within the structure of Islam.
Theme parks and cinemas will fulfill Saudis' basic need for entertainment. It will get them out of the house and away from computer games. It will increase socialization among families and friends. And more importantly it will offer an outlet and diversion for those individuals who otherwise may be consumed with boredom and frustration that may lead to religious extremism.
But let's not be so naive as to think that we are moving along into the 21st century with the rest of the world, and that we are being rewarded with bright lights and bells and whistles to keep us happy.
Quality entertainment, in which a top-tier amusement company provides the best attractions and a movie theater chain screening family-friend entertainment, means that Saudis will not leave the Kingdom for Dubai to see movies in the theater or spend their money at lavish tourist attractions. That money will stay at home.
Domestic tourism and keeping Saudi riyals inside our borders is part of the Vision 2030 plan to reduce the country's dependence on oil revenue. The Commission for Tourism and National Heritage hopes to increase tourism spending to $46 billion annually by 2020 from the current $8 billion per year.
If Six Flags is successful in developing a theme park that is sensitive to Saudi cultural customs, then other major companies will follow suit.
The economic downturn could be considered a blessing in disguise because it prompted plenty of soul-searching about the needs of Saudis, both socially and economically, and spurred the government to act quickly.
