AlJazirah Newspaper

Since the establishment of the General Entertainment Authority, many Saudis have voiced their satisfaction with the events it has organized. Those Saudis who do not have the chance or ability to travel abroad are particularly happy.

Entertainment should aim to bring some joy into the lives of people whether rich or poor. It should provide everyone with numerous events to attend and enjoy daily, weekly, monthly and seasonally.

Entertainment long existed in the Kingdom but due to the radical changes that took place in the country and those who believed it was a waste of time and money, it was banned. For example, movie theaters, comedy shows, circuses and concerts existed in many cities of the Kingdom before they were banned.

Nowadays, we hear Saudis asking: “Where should we spend our time?” This is unfortunate because it reflects on the lack of entertainment venues in our society.

Since the Kingdom lacks entertainment, thousands of Saudi families pack their bags every holiday season to escape to other countries in search of entertainment venues so that they can spend time with their families enjoying themselves. As a result, just last year, Saudi tourists spent almost SR100 billion abroad when the Kingdom should have been the one receiving this huge amount of money from its citizens.

Entertainment plays a role in building an individual’s ethics, health, psychology and social characteristics. It creates positivity and changes routine, which is what we need to eliminate boredom in a positive way.

There are many aspects that contributed to the ban on entertainment in the Kingdom and this includes those people who believe that entertainment is not necessary and that a Muslim should only work for the Hereafter without paying attention to present day life. These people heavily affected the Kingdom and made Saudis view entertainment as something impossible to have. However, Islam itself does not forbid Muslims from enjoying their time wisely and in accordance with what is permissible in Islam.

Today, we are happy and proud of what the General Entertainment Authority provides to people and we are hopeful that they will continue to provide more projects and events that will satisfy people of all ages and backgrounds.