Riyadh, Dec 11 (Agencies): Saudi Arabia said on Monday that public cinemas would be allowed in the conservative kingdom and the first cinemas were likely to open early next year.

"As the industry regulator, the General Commission for Audiovisual Media has started the process for licensing cinemas in the Kingdom," Minister of Culture and Information Awwad bin Saleh Alawwad said in a statement.

"We expect the first cinemas to open in March 2018."

The move is part of a series of reforms as part of the 2030 economic vision that also includes a war on corruption.

The changes are also intended to gain up to a quarter of the $20 billion currently spent overseas by Saudis, who are accustomed to travelling abroad to see shows and visit amusement parks.

Saudi Arabia in recent months has organised concerts, a Comic-Con pop culture festival and a mixed-gender national day celebration that saw people dancing on the streets to electronic music for the first time.