JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Pop star Justin Bieber performed to a packed crowd in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea city of Jeddah, singing some of his most popular hits. The Sunday night concert came even as activists and rights activists called on Bieber to cancel his performance in protest at the kingdom’s arrests and crackdown on critics.
Bieber’s model wife, Hailey Baldwin Bieber, posted a supportive Instagram video of him on stage, captioned, “Go Baby.” Other videos on social media showed Bieber performing on stage in a solo, wearing a coordinating red outfit. Pop and R&B singer Jason Derulo performed ahead of Bieber with backup dancers in sweatpants and baggy tops.
Just a few years ago, this would have been an unthinkable scene in Saudi Arabia, where ultra-conservative standards prevailed. Concerts were banned and single men and women were separated in public spaces. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is driving sweeping change as he strives to modernize society, attract foreign investment and create jobs for young people.
Human Rights Watch and others, however, have called on celebrities to boycott the kingdom, saying such events are meant to distract and distract from scrutiny of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.
Bieber was the biggest name performer to take to the stage as part of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which saw Lewis Hamilton win before the last race of the Formula 1 season.
The Canadian pop star has not commented on the public pressure surrounding her performance and is asking her to cancel the show. Weeks before his show in Saudi Arabia, the fiancée of slain Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi joined a chorus of voices urging him not to perform at the kingdom’s F1 race.
In an open letter published by The Washington Post, Hatice Cengiz urged the megastar to cancel her performance to “send a powerful message to the world that your name and talent will not be used to restore the reputation of a regime that kills its critics. “. She noted that the decision to host the F1 race and invite a star like Bieber “comes directly” from the Crown Prince.
But like other stars, like Mariah Carey in 2019, Bieber still performed in front of excited fans. It’s unclear how many celebrities have been paid for their appearances in the kingdom. Young Saudis are the main spectators of these concerts, enjoying the new social changes in the country.
Prince Mohammed attended the F1 race and social media showed him taking selfies with young Saudi men queuing to meet the powerful heir to the throne. The F1 race marked the first time the kingdom has hosted the premier sporting event, although it has hosted the lesser-known Formula-E race and other sporting events in recent years. with the aim of raising the profile of the country as a tourist destination.
At the time of Khashoggi’s murder in late 2018, the crown prince was praised for transforming the lives of many inside the country. Khashoggi, meanwhile, wrote columns for the Washington Post drawing attention to the prince’s brash foreign policy moves and the simultaneous crackdown on activists and perceived critics, including women’s rights activists, writers, monks and economists.
Khashoggi was killed by a team of Saudi agents who worked for the crown prince during a visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain papers to marry his Turkish fiancée.
A US intelligence assessment made public under President Joe Biden determined that the crown prince had approved the operation. Prince Mohammed maintained that he had no prior knowledge of the operation.
Bieber’s concert in Saudi Arabia comes shortly before he embarks on a world tour next year. The tour is promoted by Live Nation, the company that owns Ticketmaster. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, headed by Prince Mohammed, is one of the largest institutional holders of Live Nation, with a stake of around $1.4 billion.