Riyadh Season 2024: Systematic Erasure of Identity?

A laser-lit virtual Kaaba backdrop set the stage for a provocative dance, as an American singer shed her hat and veil (symbolizing the abaya and hijab) before dancing, drawing applause from both Saudis and foreigners.

This is how the fifth season of the Riyadh Entertainment Festival, launched in 2019, started— provocative scenes under the patronage of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), through his entertainment advisor Turki al-Sheikh, amid a deliberate and escalating transformation of the kingdom's identity.

Historically, Saudi Arabia derived its soft power from its stewardship of the Two Holy Mosques. However, the latest “openness” campaign led by bin Salman appears aimed at establishing a new cultural identity with a secular facade designed to appeal to the West rather than Saudis.

Saudi Arabia aims to replace its traditional power tied to the presence of the Two Holy Mosques with Western-style, hedonistic entertainment, shedding its Islamic identity to appease the West and whitewash its human rights record.

Systematic Erosion of Identity

The appointment of Turki al-Sheikh, head of the Saudi Entertainment Authority, with the direct backing of MBS, to bring in foreign female performers dancing in nearly nude attire at various Riyadh festivals signaled a new policy focused on systematically dismantling the identity of the land of the Two Holy Mosques.

However, the 2023 and 2024 seasons took this further with the introduction of a virtual 3D model resembling the Kaaba, surrounded by foreign bands dancing and singing in front of it. This added a new dimension of disrespect toward Islamic sacred symbols, not just insulting the Kingdom, but the entire Muslim world.

The backlash surrounding the 2024 festival focused on considering these actions as far more than just entertainment, modernity, or an attempt to impose a secular identity on the kingdom. Instead, it was seen as an affront to Islamic sanctities that must be opposed.

The outrage over the desecration of Muslim holy sites, especially by those who call themselves “Servants of the Two Holy Mosques,” became the center of global Muslim debate, as similar offenses were repeated with the Kaaba model during the 2023 and 2024 Riyadh festivals.

Scholars and politicians leading the charge against this perceived desecration argued that it was more than just the inappropriate dance around a Kaaba replica. It was part of a broader plan by bin Salman to change the Kingdom's identity, stripping it of its role as the guardian of the Two Holy Mosques. Ultimately, this transformed into a deliberate act of humiliation against sacred symbols.

They warned that the final goal was to strip the Kaaba of its sacred reverence and, after defiling these holy sites, justify moral decay, identity changes, and the promotion of a version of Islam that aligns with the interests of the United States and “Israel,” all under the banner of the Kingdom.

Some religious scholars even speculated that these acts were part of a larger “Abrahamic” religious project. They said the aim was to dilute Islam, diminish its significance in the hearts of Muslims, and slowly erase the Kingdom’s Islamic identity, paving the way for the acceptance of a new, secular national identity.

An Egyptian religious scholar told Al-Estiklal that the incidents were a direct assault on Islam’s core values and sacred symbols, weakening the Kingdom’s role as Islam’s beacon. He argued that Saudi leaders are deliberately eroding Islam’s global influence by aligning the Kingdom with Western secular ideals, diluting its Islamic identity in the process.

‘Kaaba Replica’ Controversy

This isn’t the first time that a colored laser image of a structure resembling the Kaaba has been shown at a Riyadh festival. It happened during the fourth Riyadh Festival on October 28, 2023, when organizers displayed the Kaaba-like structure during a Becky G concert and a wrestling match, using lighting and mirror effects.

At the 2023 Riyadh season opening on October 28, a mini replica of the Kaaba in lights was displayed, with clips showing singers and dancers around it. Becky G performed during this event.

Saudi sources following the festival told Al-Estiklal that the Kaaba replica in colored lights first appeared at the 2023 festival. Despite causing controversy within Saudi Arabia, the outrage was overshadowed by the global focus on the Gaza crisis, keeping the scandal under the radar.

The sources clarified that the 2023 event did indeed feature the Kaaba model in laser-light form during a performance by Becky G. However, the controversy became more pronounced in 2024, when many mistakenly thought footage from 2023 was part of this year's festival, fueling the backlash.

The laser-light Kaaba model also appeared in the 2024 festival, albeit in a toned-down version, as clearly shown in Turki al-Sheikh's own promotional material for the event. 

The controversial Mukaab project in Riyadh, announced by bin Salman in February 2023, which resembled the Kaaba in both name and design, further sparked global outrage.

This triggered protests, with many Muslims criticizing the project for trivializing one of Islam’s most sacred symbols, a point highlighted by CNN on February 17, 2023.

The Spread of Vice

In response to the uproar, Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority denied allegations that a model of the Kaaba was used during the festival. However, viral videos circulating online appeared to contradict these claims.

The denial was limited to obscure, lesser-known Arabic outlets, which focused solely on refuting the presence of idols or a Kaaba replica in the musical and dance performances.

To mitigate the shock and anger among the Islamic public, the so-called Saudi Anti Rumors Authority, an unofficial and self-proclaimed independent body, denied the existence of Kaaba models or idols during the Riyadh Season 2024 fashion show.

The authority, which claims to have been established in 2012 to address rumors, stated through its social media platforms that “there are no replicas of the Kaaba in the Kingdom; what appeared was an image of a mirror connected to the ceiling, digitally altered with idols added to it.”

In defense of the Kaaba models, the authority noted that “there are famous cubic structures around the world, such as the Apple store in New York and the Berlin Cube in Germany, but no one ever thought they represented the Kaaba, as is being speculated today about Saudi Arabia.”

Notably, individuals with unknown affiliations circulated doctored photos showing the Kaaba model from 2023, digitally adding idols resembling the stone statues from ancient historical films. These images were shared alongside models at the fashion show to tarnish Riyadh’s reputation.

Saudi sources suggest that these fabricated photos were likely created by supporters of Turki al-Sheikh, aiming to build a narrative denying any legal violations in the festival, especially concerning the presence of idols.

This narrative was reinforced by the Anti-Rumors Authority and lesser-known newspapers, which propagated the story of no violations occurring, shifting the focus to the idol issue while downplaying the Kaaba replica and the revealing outfits of the singers and dancers.

Criticism was also directed at regime-aligned scholars, including Aid al-Qarni, who, before the Riyadh Festival, said, “We were once the Qibla of prayer, now we are the Qibla of tourism and culture.”

In contrast, videos emerged of a young Saudi man protesting the events unfolding in the holy land, quoting the verse from the holy Quan, “Those who persecute the believing men and women and then do not repent will certainly suffer the punishment of Hell and the torment of burning.”

Activists vented their fury at bin Salman and al-Sheikh, accusing them of disrespecting sacred values, violating the sanctity of the Holy Kaaba, and deviating from the values upheld by the land of revelation. They also decried the silence of religious scholars on these actions.

Future of Mecca and Medina

The ongoing disrespect for sacred sentiments has prompted many to call for a solution to safeguard the holy sites in Mecca and Medina, away from Saudi Arabia's quest for a new secular identity.

Some have revived the idea of internationalizing the sacred sites, as was discussed after the 2015 Mina stampede that claimed 769 lives, with Iran previously promoting the notion of internationalizing the holy sites.

Egyptian actor Amr Waked proposed the idea of “isolating Mecca and Medina” from “the Saudi royal family's rule,” suggesting that “the people of the two cities should manage them through elections, and no one should be allowed to own land where our sacred sites are located.”

“It is not necessary for Saudi authority to have a permanent presence at the Hajj sites, and that the Hijaz could have semi-autonomous governance with independent power and renewable Islamic resources, given that Hajj and Umrah bring in profits,” Waked posted on social media.

Proponents of the Saudi regime defended the indulgent atmosphere in Riyadh, claiming that “Saudi Arabia is not just Mecca and Medina, but a continent. Mecca and Medina are part of its land, but they do not define its entirety.”

“There is no connection between their sanctity and the openness we live in; it is our right as a people to choose our way of life without interference from others; Saudi Arabia is not a theocratic state,” they said.

Western Reception

The overt displays of nudity and decadence at the 2024 Riyadh Festival, especially during Jennifer Lopez's performance, not only shocked conservative Saudis but also astonished Western media, which expressed disbelief at the provocative dancing and the affront to sacred values.

The Daily Mail highlighted Jennifer Lopez's provocative performance at the Riyadh Season, featuring an enticing dance that captivated audiences.

The British tabloid, alongside other outlets such as Economist Times, focused on how Lopez intensified her provocative movements, seemingly as a way to overcome her recent divorce from actor Ben Affleck.

The fashion show, hosted by renowned designer Elie Saab and attended by Lopez, Camila Cabello, Celine Dion, and other Arab artists, was marked by revealing outfits, vulgar dances, and suggestive performances, all while featuring the Kaaba.

Mint criticized the decision to allow Jennifer Lopez to perform in a revealing tight dress at the Riyadh event, calling it a case of “double standards” for Saudi Arabia, which had abolished the niqab in 2015 and the abaya in 2018.

“Jennifer Lopez performs in plunging fringe bodysuit at Riyadh event, netizens slam ’double standards’ in Saudi Arabia,” the magazine noted.

“Saudi Arabia has drawn praise on social media for the country's drastic transformation in just a few years. Days ago, Jennifer Lopez performed wearing a revealing leotard in Riyadh. Just a few years ago, women weren’t allowed to even show their skin,” wrote one X user.

“A woman dressing like this would have been unthinkable in Saudi Arabia just a few years ago,” cheered another user.

Meanwhile, Vogue said Lebanese designer Elie Saab took advantage of the multi-million-dollar festival setup to create a grand show rivaling Western fashion spectacles, drawing global attention to Saudi Arabia, with 900 guests and 90 models in attendance.

Foreign reports have suggested that the indulgent entertainment events orchestrated by Turki al-Sheikh, a representative of bin Salman, aim to change Saudi Arabia’s Islamic identity, citing festivals like MDLBEAST with its dance music, women's wrestling competitions, and more.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) highlighted, in 2022, the rapid cultural shift in the kingdom, generating widespread controversy among its own citizens in a nation known as the Muslim world’s spiritual heart.

“About four decades ago the monarchy cut a deal that gave ultraconservative religious authorities wide control over culture in exchange for clerics’ loyalty to the crown,” WSJ said.

However, since becoming crown prince in 2017, bin Salman “has sidelined religious authorities, sometimes jailing them, in a bid to open back up.”