Page 31 - AT

A31
PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 24 december 2019
Saudi Arabia cuts loose with bevy of models and a rave

By AYA BATRAWY Arabia."
DIRIYAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) Earlier this year, hip-hop
— Supermodels and social star Nicki Minaj pulled out
media mavens, their make- of performing in the king-
up artists and hair stylists in dom over concerns about
tow, posed at a concert women's rights, gay rights
in leather pants, chunky and freedom of expression.
sweaters and trendy black When asked by The As-
combat boots. What was sociated Press, the enter-
unusual about these In- tainment authority that
stagram posts was that licensed MDL Beast said
they were all deliberately some people had been
tagged in Riyadh, Saudi compensated for promot-
Arabia. ing the event, but denied
The bevy of Instagram such high sums were paid
stars, former Victoria's Se- to individuals.
cret models, including While the social changes
Alessandra Ambrosio, and ushered in by Crown Prince
Hollywood actors like Ryan Mohammed bin Salman
Phillipe, Ed Westwick and have been sweeping, so
Wilmer Valderrama were too is his crackdown on
invited to Saudi Arabia criticism and political ex-
over the weekend to pro- In this Saturday Dec. 21, 2019 photo, people attend a concert, part of the MDL Beast Festival, a pression. The prince has
mote the kingdom's most three-day musical extravaganza in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. overseen the country's war
eye-popping effort yet at Associated Press in Yemen, which has led to
showcasing the dramatic the world's worst humani-
changes taking hold in this segregated at restaurants. memo — some opted for perform across five stages tarian crisis, and the arrest
country, where more than The kingdom began issu- stomach-baring bralettes to the backdrop of surreal- of women's rights activists,
half of its 20 million citizens ing tourist visas this year. under open coats. ist performances — includ- clerics and writers.
are under 25 years old. Female visitors are not re- The blast of glossy social ing one with a woman in He's also drawn interna-
The efforts are aimed at quired to wear the conser- media posts helped draw a skintight sky blue leotard tional condemnation for
boosting the economy vative black-flowing robe attention to the visit's pur- writhing from a hot air bal- the killing of Saudi writer
while polishing Saudi Ara- known as the abaya and pose — to promote MDL loon over a crowd of young and Washington Post col-
bia's image abroad and headscarves in public. Beast, a three-day musi- Saudi men. umnist Jamal Khashoggi in
appealing to the young. At Riyadh airport, a booth cal extravaganza in Ri- Men and women cut loose Turkey, slaughtered by Sau-
It's a staggering pivot from welcomes tourists with yadh that drew more than and danced at the unprec- di agents inside the Saudi
just three years ago, when pamphlets on etiquette in 130,000 visitors on its first edented rave-like event. Consulate in Istanbul last
religious police would storm Saudi Arabia, labeled "Our day alone, according to Thousands waited for hours year.
restaurants playing music Code of Conduct." the General Entertainment to get in. The incident tarnished
and harass women in malls "Both men and women are Authority. Ticket prices A popular social media ac- Prince Mohammed's inter-
for showing their face or asked to dress modestly in started at just 75 riyals ($20), count, Diet Prada, named national image though his
wearing red nail polish. public, avoiding tight fitting but organizers were eager and shamed some of the popularity is undeniable at
Now, the kingdom has clothing," it explains. "Wom- to ensure a big turnout so celebrities present, ac- home.
movie theaters and con- en should cover their shoul- tickets were also handed cusing them of allegedly The fully veiled Hassan said
certs. Women are allowed ders and knees in public." out for free to some gov- accepting six-figure sums she wasn't raised on this
to drive and travel with- Apparently, not all the V.I.P. ernment employees. for attendance and geo- kind of entertainment, but
out male permission, and guests flown to Saudi Ara- More than 70 world-re- tagged posts to "rehabili- has no problem with her
they can sit with men, un- bia on private jets got the nowned DJs were invited to tate the image of Saudi kids enjoying it. q

Whoo's there? Georgia family discovers

owl in Christmas tree

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia naments. Bride Newman's husband,
family got a real hoot from "It was surreal, but we Billy Newman.
its Christmas tree: More weren't really freaked out So the family called a non-
than a week after they about it," McBride New- profit nature center for
bought it, they discovered man said. "We're really out- help. The Chattahoochee
a live owl nestled among its doorsy people. We love the Nature Center caught the
branches. wilderness." bird and helped the family
Katie McBride Newman The family opened win- release it.
said Friday that she and dows and doors near the McBride Newman said
her daughter spotted the tree hoping the owl would she believed the bird had
bird on Dec. 12. They had fly away, but it didn't. been in the tree since they
bought the 10-foot (3-me- "The owl seemed to be bought it, but was hidden.
ter) tall tree from a Home pretty comfortable, and "We think he was just in
Depot, brought it back to I thought, 'Hey buddy, it's there hugging the trunk," This photo provided by Billy Newman Photography shows an owl
their Atlanta area home not going to go well if you she said. "It's a very dense nestled in a Christmas tree that belongs to Katie McBride New-
and decorated it with lights just stay here. There's no tree and it was very fresh. man in Newnan, Ga.
and, coincidentally, owl or- food, I'm sorry,'" said Mc- That's why we picked it."q Associated Press