Saudi Women Welcomed ‘Off Stage’ at Fourth Saudi Drama Festival - Human Rights/Womens Rights/Arts
16/3/08
Saudi women will tonight be able to attend the Fourth Saudi Drama Festival at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh — the first time ever in the festival’s history. However, their attendance to the 12-day event will strictly be confined to seats in the audience. The event includes the showing of 10 Saudi plays by drama groups from across the Kingdom, including Taif, Dammam, Jeddah, Najran, Qassim, Madinah, Al-Hasaa and Riyadh. As is the case at all government-sponsored drama groups, women are not only prohibited from being actors and directors, they are also banned from watching shows. In fact, they are also denied permission from attending dramas held at the annual Janadriyah festival.
See: http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=107912&d=16&m=3&y=2008