Saudi Arabia holds first Riyadh concert since Covid-19 crisis eased

Syrian diva Assala Nasri and Kuwaiti crooner Nabeel Shuail perform

A picture taken late on June 3, 2021 show a theatre hosting the first concert in the Saudi capital Riyadh since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Riyadh is accelerating a nationwide vaccination drive as it moves to revive tourism and host sports and entertainment extravaganzas, all pandemic-hit sectors that are a bedrock of the "Vision 2030" program to diversify the oil-reliant economy. / AFP / Fayez Nureldine
Powered by automated translation

Hundreds gathered in Riyadh on Thursday for the first concert in the Saudi capital since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Fans watched performances by Syrian diva Assala Nasri and Kuwaiti crooner Nabeel Shuail.

Before strict rules were brought in a year ago to stem the spread of coronavirus, the conservative kingdom had started to ease decades-long restrictions on public entertainment – part of efforts to improve its image and attract tourists.

"This is the first concert to take place in Saudi for a very long time," said one spectator at the concert, held in a restaurant at a large Riyadh hotel.

"We are delighted to come from Kuwait to attend the concert," said a Kuwaiti tourist.

Saudi Arabia has recorded more than 454,000 coronavirus infections, including 7,408 deaths.

The kingdom hosted international musicians from Janet Jackson to 50 Cent and Korean pop group BTS, for concerts that were unimaginable just four years ago.

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli sang in April at the ancient Saudi city of Hegra, a Unesco World Heritage site.

The pandemic put a brake on the country's ambitious push to revamp its global image and attract tourists.