Kuwait to revive drive-in cinemas amid COVID-19 pandemic

Kuwait City: The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Faisal Al Medlej, announced that a ministerial decision has been issued to allow for several new commercial activities to operate, including drive-in cinemas which were last seen in 1974.

A source told Al Qabas that the drive-in movie theatres will be a stepping stone for the resumption of cinemas and to return to pre COVID-19 normalcy.

Extremely affected

Cinemas in Kuwait, like most around the world, have been extremely affected by the pandemic as they remain shut for almost a year now. According to media and tech research firm Omdia, the global cinema industry lost around $32 billion in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Allowing for drive-in cinemas to operate is only fitting since back in 1974 Kuwait was the first Arab country to introduce drive-in cinemas. Unfortunately, in 2002 the cinema was closing and the building was torn down.