People take to Twitter to condemn theater attack in Riyadh
November 12, 2019, 10:57 am

People take to Twitter to condemn theater attack in Riyadh

Twitter users in Saudi Arabia condemned the stabbing of three actors performing a play in Riyadh and voiced their support for the recent arrival of public entertainment events in the Kingdom. (Screengrab)

Twitter users in Saudi Arabia condemned the stabbing of three actors performing a play in Riyadh and voiced their support for the recent arrival of public entertainment events in the Kingdom.

Video circulating on social media shows a man storming on stage at the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Park Theater in the al-Malaz district, knocking people to the ground. Police said two men and a woman were stabbed and were later reported to be in a stable condition.

https://twitter.com/sotiridi/status/1193986266645368832

The suspect, reported by local press to be a Yemeni citizen, was arrested. There has been no indication of the motive for the attack.

Many Twitter users saw the stabbing as an attack on the government’s recent reforms relaxing restrictions on public entertainment. Thousands of Saudis regularly flock to music and theatrical performances that have sprung up as a result of the reforms, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

One Twitter user wrote, “As tries to progress economically globally by attracting foreign entertainment into the country, troubling news coming from the country, like stabbing of 3 performers by a Yemeni attacker, keep getting in the way of Prince’s ambitious plans.

https://twitter.com/JustynaKolataj/status/1194084312922165250

The play was part of a series of festivities called “Magic Forest”, running from 24 October to 23 November at the King Abdullah Park, under the umbrella of a two-month series of events called Riyadh Season. Riyadh Season is one of 11 festival seasons being hosted in line with the government’s radical transformation plan known as Vision 2030.

While new entertainment events have attracted sell-out crowds and received widespread acclaim by Saudis on Twitter, some people have opposed the reforms.

One user wrote that the attack was an act of terrorism: “Such extremist ideology is what the Crown Prince and Saudi diplomacy are fighting against.”

https://twitter.com/0khalodi0/status/1194108717853224961

The Saudi government has been aware of the “risk of this sort of attack against the recent introduction of public entertainment (which many clerics have been inciting against),” and had pursued a “zero tolerance policy towards their public attacks on change and reform” as a result, wrote Saudi Arabian analyst Ali Shihabi on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/aliShihabi/status/1194001886376013824

Another user pointed to the fact that the suspect was a Yemeni national and said that they hoped the attack was not terror-related.

https://twitter.com/guardian/status/1194057943517413378

The stabbing is the first such incident since the Kingdom opened its door for entertainment.

On Thursday, Egyptian singer Amr Diab, Moroccan-American rapper French Montana, and DJs Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike performed their hit songs at a sold-out show in the capital.

Other recent events include the WWE’s Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia, which featured the first-ever women’s match to be held in the Kingdom, the Joy Entertainment Awards, which were attended by Jackie Chan and Jason Momoa, and a sold-out show by international K-pop boyband sensation BTS, who kicked off Riyadh Season with a bang.

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”