UAE halts censorship of 'adult content' in cinemas

The United Arab Emirates will no longer censor films released in cinemas, the Ministry of Culture and Youth announced yesterday.

The ministry’s Media Regulatory Office (MRO) said that it had introduced a 21 and above age rating for films it classifies for mature audiences, including scenes of nudity and sex. “The Media Regulatory Office has announced an inscription of the 21+ for the age classification categories for cinema films,” MRO said on Twitter.

“According to this classification, the movies will be screened in cinemas according to their international version, and the classification is given based on the standards of media content in the country.”

According to this classification, the movies will be screened in cinemas according to their international version, and the classification is given based on the standards of media content in the country.

— مجلس الإمارات للإعلام (@uaemediacouncil) December 19, 2021

The UAE has been revamping its social laws in an effort to rebrand the country as an international hub; a move officials describe as “liberalizing its legislative structure and luring more foreign workers.”

Last year, the Gulf country granted unmarried people the right to live together, eased alcohol purchase and consumption controls, launched long-term residence visas, and allowed full foreign ownership of enterprises. Earlier this month, it said it would reduce working days to four and a half instead of five, while moving to a Western-style Saturday-Sunday weekend.

A total of ten million people currently live in the UAE, nine million of whom are foreigners, according to official data.

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