Riyadh: Saudi Arabia’s cinema committee announced on Sunday the construction of the first ever cinema theatre in the conservative Islamic kingdom, Al Arabiya local news reported.

The panel signed an initial agreement to build the theatre hall in the capital Riyadh, the report said, adding that the activities in the cinema theatre will be committed to the Islamic and traditional values of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has no cinema halls for religious reasons, though there were many youth campaigns calling for such facility in the country.

The announcement came as Saudi Arabians voted 17 women into public office in municipal elections on Sunday, a state-aligned news site reported.