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As well as satisfying Saudi dance music fans with a dream musical line up, Riyadh’s MDL Beast has also been welcoming celebrities to the event.
Spotted in Riyadh over the weekend were actors Armie Hammer and Ryan Phillippe, reality television star Scott Disick and models Alessandro Ambrosio and Winnie Harlow. While these guests have been visiting various sites in Riyadh, the festival's music talent also got a chance to sample Saudi culture with DJ Steve Aoki and reggaeton star J Balvin trying on traditional Saudi kandoras.
Winnie Harlow
The Jamaican-Canadian model took to social media to express her excitement at returning to Saudi Arabia this weekend. In one post taken inside a helicopter ferrying her to the site, she said: "so grateful to be back in Saudi. The Kingdom holds a special place to me as I shot my first ever Vogue cover here in Riyadh this summer and I'm so happy to be back for Middle Beast."
Alessandra Ambrosio
The Brazilian model made an appearance on Thursday's opening night of MDL Beast. She was snapped in the VIP stage of the Under Ground Beast stage, which is focused on techno and house music.
Scott Disick
The reality TV personality experienced the full five-star treatment in Riyadh. As his Instagram post and stories reveal, he arrived at Middle Beast Fest via helicopter, sampled the set by Australian trance DJ Fisher on the VIP deck before the chopper took him back to the lavish grounds of The Ritz-Carlton.
Armie Hammer
The Wounds actor made it to Riyadh as guest of Saudi film producer Mohammed Al Turki. Hammer posted a picture on Instagram of the duo enjoying a lovely afternoon trip in the desert. Hours later Hammer came to the festival dressed in traditional Saudi attire including the thobe (traditional Saudi kandora) and ghutra (head dress).
Ryan Phillippe
The American actor also made his way to the festival to enjoy the party vibes. An Instagram post shows him wearing the Saudi headdress, the ghutra, while his Instastory show him taking off to the festival from the Ritz-Carlton in a chopper.
J Balvin
The reggaeton star is a chameleon. On stage, he is a vibrant presence with colourful stage gear and hair, however, after his MDL Beast performance he was snapped wearing also wearing traditional Saudi clothes. Like all his fashion choices, Balvin made it all look smooth.
Steve Aoki
The American DJ didn’t go ‘full Saudi’ like Balvin, but we will give him a B for effort. Aoki made a respectful pose as he was snapped wearing the Saudi ghutra over his colourful jumper.