(DJEDDAH, Saudi Arabia) Pop song star Justin Bieber took the stage to a full house in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday night, singing several of his most popular hits.
The concert therefore took place despite numerous calls for a boycott from human rights activists. A campaign had been set up to try to convince the artist to give up his performance in protest against the Saudi regime which muzzles all criticism.
The singer’s wife, Hailey Baldwin Bieber, posted a video of the event on her Instagram account, adding a few words of encouragement for her husband. Other videos of the show were also posted on social networks showing the artist on stage dressed in red. Pop and R&B artist Jason Derulo opened the opening act.
Just a few years ago, this kind of event would have been simply unimaginable in Saudi Arabia, where ultra-conservative standards were imposed on society. Concerts were banned and single men and women were to be kept separate in public places. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is behind these big changes as he tries to modernize society to attract more foreign capital and create jobs for the younger generation.
However, for human rights groups like Human Rights Watch and others, these high-profile events are meant only to distract attention from the Saudi kingdom’s dire human rights record.
Canada’s Justin Bieber was the biggest star to take the stage as part of the festivities surrounding the Saudi Arabian Formula 1 Grand Prix, won by Lewis Hamilton.
Through the turmoil and the boycott campaign, Justin Bieber has remained silent on the subject. The widow of journalist murdered by the regime, Jamal Khashoggi, had notably added her voice to the large number of people calling on the singer to cancel his concert.