Women and children were on hand to watch World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.'s "Greatest Royal Rumble" in Saudi Arabia.

A previous WWE event held in the ultraconservative kingdom in 2014 was for men only. But Friday night's event in Jiddah included both women and children in attendance to watch the likes of WWE star John Cena and others.

It's all part of a series of social changes pushed by the kingdom's assertive 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

WWE is wildly popular across the Middle East. The organization has an Arabic website and has held events in other Gulf Arab nations.

Earlier Saudi Arabia gave U.S.-based firm AMC the first license to operate cinemas in the kingdom, and the first cinema in the country in nearly 40 years was opened on April 18 in the capital Riyadh.

The move to reopen cinemas is part of a modernization drive by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is seeking to balance unpopular subsidy cuts in an era of low oil prices with more entertainment options -- despite opposition from religious hardliners.

Long known for its ultra-conservative mores, the kingdom has embarked on a wide-ranging program of social reforms that includes boosting sports and entertainment and allowing women to drive from June.