American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey is about to hold her first-ever performance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on the sidelines of the country’s first international golf tournament.
According to the Arab News daily newspaper, Carey’s performance will take place in King Abdullah Economic City, located on the coast of the Red Sea, on 31 January.
This development evoked a negative reaction online, with some social media users urging the singer not to perform in Saudi Arabia due to the country’s track record on women’s rights, while some called on her to use her performance to raise awareness about female activists detained there.
A number of people also took a dim view of Carey’s upcoming event due to Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the ongoing armed conflict in Yemen.
Yemen has been locked in a conflict between government forces led by President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and Houthi rebels, with the Saudi-led coalition entering the conflict at Hadi’s request.
Since last year, the Saudi government seemingly set about reforms aimed at liberalising the country, lifting a ban which prevented women from driving and criminalising sexual harassment, in addition to other measures.