Saudi clerics keep mum about concerts in the kingdom
The new open-minded tendencies of the Saudi Royal Court are causing controversy with the conservative religious establishment in the kingdom, especially concerning concerts.
![CORRECTION - Saudis attend a concert in Jeddah on January 30, 2017.
Saudi Arabia's "Paul McCartney" took to the stage as the kingdom seeks to boost entertainment despite religious warnings of "depravity." The performance was the first major concert in seven years in the kingdom's second city, according to Arab News.
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Under the auspices of Princess Adila, the daughter of the late King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz and head of the Saudi Heritage Preservation Society, the Saudi capital, Riyadh, witnessed a concert by the Saudi singer Waad on Feb. 14. The concert was a women-only event held in honor of the late singer Tarek Abdel Hakim, who died in 2012. Several Saudi princesses were in attendance.
The Waad concert came about following a Saudi Twitter campaign launched in early February with an Arabic hashtag that would translate into #We_Want_Mohammed_Abdo_in_Riyadh. On Jan. 30, Saudi singer Mohammed Abdo performed in Jeddah for 6,000 men. A decision by the General Authority for Entertainment — catering to Saudi Arabia's religious establishment, which opposes gender mixing — forbade women from attending.
Salem al-Hindi, the director of the Rotana Group — which organized the Jeddah concert — told Al-Arabiya on Jan. 30 that the company (which is owned by Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal) is working on organizing other concerts in Saudi Arabia that will be open to women, so long as Saudi authorities grant their approval.
Yet Saudi Arabia's grand mufti, Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh, told Al-Majd TV on Jan. 13 that concerts and cinemas are harmful and cause immorality.
