Saudi Arabia to show films for first time at Cannes festival

Saudi culture minister Awwad Alawwad announces that Saudi Arabia will make its first official appearance at France's Cannes film festival, submitting a selection of short films when the prestigious competition opens next month. "We are very happy... that there will be an official participation at the Cannes festival, for the first time," said Awwad Alawwad. Saudi is going through some major changes and this is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s 2030 vision that seeks to reduce the Kingdon’s dependency on oil and tap into the entertainment industry