American singer Nicki Minaj has pulled out of her upcoming concert in Saudi Arabia, which was scheduled as one of the headline acts of the Jeddah World Fest.
Minaj was scheduled to headline the Jeddah World Fest, a music and performance festival, on July 18.
Nicki Minaj is pulling out of the concert in Saudi Arabia because she says she wants to show support for women’s rights, gay rights and freedom of expression.
The Human Rights Foundation is applauding Nicki Minaj’s decision to back out of a concert in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is a conservative kingdom where people in some public places are segregated by gender and same-sex relationships are criminalized. Gender segregation between single men and women is still enforced in many restaurants, coffee shops, public schools and universities, but other rules have loosened, with women now allowed to drive and attend events in sports stadiums.
Over the past several months, Saudi Arabia has seen performances by top billed international artists, including the Backstreet Boys, Mariah Carey, Enrique Iglesias, the Black Eyed Peas, rapper Sean Paul, and DJs David Guetta and Tiesto.
Minaj’s concert was being hailed by many in Saudi Arabia as part of the Kingdom’s drive to bring more international acts to the country, months after it opened doors to cinema houses.
Saudi Arabia’s decision to open up entertainment and culture is part of its Vision 2030 aspirations. It has drawn up multibillion-dollar projects that are also expected to create job opportunities.
Saudi organizers said the Jeddah World Fest will be broadcast globally. The kingdom is also promising quick electronic visas for international visitors who want to attend.
Saudi Arabia saw profound change last year as a result of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s top-down reform efforts, including the opening of the first movie theater and the lifting of the world’s only ban on women driving.
The non-profit Human Rights Foundation called for the rapper to cancel her concert, and it thanked Minaj for her decision.