Cinemas were opened more than eight months ago in Riyadh, but I have still not gone to one. I love movies and I love the atmosphere of the cinema environment. However, there are a number of problems that I have faced and that many others like me have faced when they have wanted to purchase tickets online for a movie. It is not easy because a person needs to buy the movie ticket several days before the movie is shown.

Sometimes when I want to watch a movie, I decide instantly. Then again, people may plan to go to watch a movie and then something comes up which forces them to cancel their plans.

When we travel abroad, we are used to standing inside a movie theater to check the movie posters on display and the times the films will be shown. We may check the movie timing through special applications or on websites and check them before we go to the movie theater. This is the way movie theaters operate.

Another thing is that I tried to log on to the website twice to buy a movie ticket and then I finally gave up. The website is not user friendly and needs to be reorganized. Moreover, the idea of dividing movie showings between families and singles is causing confusion to those who use the website. At times when I am concentrating on the movie and the actors in it and then go online to reserve a ticket, I find that the day I want is for males only, and I’m sure that the reverse happens to men who are trying to book movie tickets.

There is also the fact that movie theaters are packed every day and so it is difficult to buy a ticket online. Although theaters are limited in number, why are they making it difficult for people to see a movie? Why not open all the theaters for everyone to attend. Rather than having days specified for families and days for single men, there could be movie theaters for families only, so people like me who want to buy a ticket can easily do so.

Cinema is not for pleasure only; it is a strong tool for societal change and advancing knowledge. It also facilitates cultural communication between societies. We are waiting for more movie theaters to open to accommodate the large number of movie lovers. Cinemas are aimed at all levels of society and are not directed at a specific group or certain age. We hope that it will soon be easier for us to buy tickets to enjoy movies in the Kingdom.

Al-Jazirah

Twitter: @samarmogren