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John Travolta Meets Saudi Arabia Fans To Celebrate Cinema Ban Lift

By Chidirim Ndeche
18 December 2017   |   3:00 pm
More than 2,000 fans welcomed Hollywood actor John Travolta at the Apex Convention Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Friday, December 15, days after the country lifted a decades-long ban on cinemas. Travolta performed a special stand-up format live event called "A night with John Travolta", in which he looked back on his life and…

More than 2,000 fans welcomed Hollywood actor John Travolta at the Apex Convention Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Friday, December 15, days after the country lifted a decades-long ban on cinemas.

Travolta performed a special stand-up format live event called “A night with John Travolta”, in which he looked back on his life and career in Hollywood. The 63-year old actor answered questions from fans, mostly university students, on the many aspects of his life.

Saudi Arabia lifted a 35-year-old ban on cinemas last Monday, December 11, prompting celebrations from film fans, industry professionals and movie chains. They are eyeing what is seen as the last untapped mass market in the Middle East.

Cinemas were banned in the early 1980s under pressure from Islamists as Saudi society turned towards a particularly conservative form of the religion that discouraged public entertainment and public mixing between men and women.

Travolta ended the event singing a short song. The event was organized by The General Authority for Entertainment (GEA) which was created on May 7, 2016 by royal decree in Saudi Arabia and is responsible for the nation’s expanding entertainment sector.

***Reuters

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