King Fahad Cultural Centre
The new year is off to a great start for women in Saudi Arabia – indeed a continuation of many firsts enjoyed in 2018 – as, this weekend, the first mixed-gender play in Saudi Arabia opened at the King Fahad Cultural Centre in the capital Riyadh. “Take Away,” a parody that highlights a selection of contemporary realities, situations, and issues young people face today, was performed to an excited and supportive audience.
The poster for this one-of-a-kind theatre piece credits Dr. Mohammed al-Tayash and director Bassam al-Dakhil, and lists its starring characters as Zara al-Balushi, Majed Matarab, Tareq al-Harbi, Shafi al-Harthy, and Asma al-Hassan.
As soon as the play’s launch date was announced, many Saudis took to social media to express their support and joy for such a groundbreaking event, one that marks the current shift in Saudi society. According to Gulf News, many also took the opportunity to highlight how Islam, a religion that is central to Saudi society, has always been open to development and progress, and how any society cannot exist without the natural mixing of genders, something that the Kingdom is aiming to encourage.
Saudi Arabia has been working diligently over the last few months to realize its Vision 2030 national strategy, which is being spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. The Kingdom’s ambitious drive to overhaul its oil-dependent economy and ultra-conservative society has led to a wave of initiatives designed to diversify its economy, expand its private sector, nurture its cultural scene and tourism sector, and open up its doors to the world.
In addition, Saudi Arabia has been loosening restrictions on its society as a whole and focusing on improving the rights of women in the county. In 2017, for instance, Saudi Arabia allowed a female singer to perform at an all-female public concert for the first time in the country’s history, and in 2018, the Kingdom allowed the first-ever mixed-gendered concert to take place, performed by an Egyptian singer.
