Saudi Arabia lifted a 35-year-old ban on cinemas on Monday, prompting celebrations from film fans, directors and movie chains. The first theatres could start showing films as early as March, the government said, part of a liberalising reform drive that has already opened the door to concerts, comedy shows and women drivers over the past year. Cinemas were banned in the early 1980s under pressure from Islamists as Saudi Arabian society turned towards a particularly conservative form of the religion that discouraged public entertainment and public mixing between men and women. “Opening cinemas will act as a catalyst for economic growth and diversification,” said Minister of Culture and Information Awwad bin Saleh Alawwad. “By developing the broader cultural sector, we will create new employment and training opportunities, as well as enriching the Kingdom’s entertainment options.” In a nod to conservatives, the government said the films would be censored to make sure they remain “in line with values and principles in place and do not contradict with Sharia Laws and moral values in the Kingdom.” The details of that censorship were not announced but could be extensive in a country where images of women are often crossed out in advertising.