Riyadh Season: Fears of harassment cloud entertainment events in Saudi Arabia

• Sebastian Asher
• BBC Arabic affairs editor

While the Saudi capital was witnessing a festival described as the largest music event in the Middle East this year, the organizer of the “Middle Beast” festival came out to pledge to take more steps to try to prevent incidents of sexual harassment and other harassment at the event that took place in the outskirts of Riyadh.

The Mid-Best Sound Storm Festival lasted for four days, during which hundreds of thousands of audience attended concerts by artists from different parts of the world, and witnessed an unprecedented mixing of the sexes in the Kingdom.

In scenes that still seem almost surreal in the country, clips of young men and women dancing to the beat of loud music have spread in a country where performing music in public places was controversial only a few years ago.

While some see that collective entertainment events are no longer surprising in the Kingdom, which began about three years ago following a policy of social openness after decades of conservatism and even extremism, these events were accompanied by reports of harassment – some of which were documented on video, against Saudi and foreign women.

The decision to participate in the festival constituted a matter that some celebrities hesitated about in light of the accusations leveled against Saudi Arabia in the file of human rights, especially with the issuance of comments from human rights activists, who believe that the participating musicians contribute to whitewashing the reputation of the Kingdom, in which the authorities repress the population, according to activists.

But the musicians weren’t the only ones to think twice before getting involved. This was the case for many women in light of reports that sexual harassment has become a feature of major entertainment events in Riyadh and other cities in the Kingdom, and the spread of video clips of groups of men touching and harassing women’s bodies.

In light of this, the Med Beast Festival management launched a campaign to intensify measures to protect women in its events, and promised zero tolerance for any incidents of harassment or harassment. Some of those who attended last week praised the organizers’ efforts in this regard.

Also, since 2018, the Saudi authorities have enacted laws criminalizing harassment and imposing heavy fines and prison terms of up to five years for those convicted of it.

But several Saudi women contacted by the BBC said they did not think the authorities were doing enough.

None of the women wanted to be identified, but many said they had either experienced direct harassment, or knew or heard about girls who had been.

One said that online comments on videos showing incidents of harassment blamed women, and that female victims are as likely to be punished under Saudi law as perpetrators.

While another expressed her belief that the authorities seemed to act only seriously when it came to foreigners, adding that there was little interest when the victim was a Saudi woman, in exchange for heavy protest and harsh punishments when the victim was a tourist.

A third said that Saudi women do not enjoy any real protection, as there is a general feeling that they are complicit, and even guilty in some way, just for going to public entertainment events, adding that young women who report being harassed may face condemnation from within their families and society.

This young woman, who refused to reveal her name, claims that the latest warning issued by the Saudi General Security against filming with mobile phones in entertainment venues was aimed at preventing the documentation of harassment incidents.

Those close to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is seen by many as the de facto ruler of the kingdom, say that such incidents represent the growth pains of the body, in a country witnessing a major transition from falling under the authority and dictates of deeply conservative interpretations of Islam to turning to A more open society – a transition that is evident for many in the absence of the omnipresent CPVPV elements.

The pace of change is set to accelerate in pursuit of the goals set forth in the Prince’s Vision 2030 – a highly ambitious plan to transform Saudi Arabia by shifting the economy away from dependence on oil, while reshaping society in line with openness to diverse economic sectors. Including tourism and entertainment, and it fits with the aspirations of the young generation, which makes up the majority of the Kingdom’s population.

Prince’s supporters say the process is still at an early stage, and call for patience until these changes become normal.

But the Saudi women contacted by the BBC questioned how comprehensive the plan actually was – assuring that women’s hopes and fears were still superficially addressed.

These women say the harassment case was but a stark example of a larger phenomenon – deterring many Saudi women from participating in a wide range of events ostensibly aimed at opening up Saudi Arabia, not just to a new world of tourists and influencers, but to its citizens.