ALBAWABA - Off to Saudi Arabia today. In the news is the Jazzan Winter Festival and its semi-naked Samba ladies!
This is indeed a rarity and shows the dramatic, unprecedented changes going on in Saudi Arabia lead by its de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammad Ben Salman. There is certainly a cultural shift going on, and that is putting it mildly.
Footage surfaced of three foreign performers, dressed in traditionally embellished samba costumes, dancing in Saudi Arabia's southern city of Jazan.
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) January 11, 2022
The dancers' arms, bellies and legs were partly exposed, sparking controversy in the conservative kingdom https://t.co/kPD46cgpnB
The three ladies, all dressed Samba-style took part in the festival revealing all sorts of "nakedness" which usually would be ok if it wasn't Saudi Arabia, the conservative Kingdom and the pillar of Islam because of the holy city of Makkah and Madinah.
A samba show with scantily clad dancers caused a scandal in #SaudiArabia. The governor of the city of #Jazan, Prince Mohammed bin Nasser, ordered an investigation over the weekend. #saudiarabia #winterfestive #sambashow #dance pic.twitter.com/GwMtfpS7Vj
— CCZDigital (@cczdigital) January 10, 2022
How did this happen? The troupe of samba dancers created much controversy with a lot of criticism being made on the social media. What is surprising is most of these have been removed according to different media sources.
Watch the decadence and the gay flag flutter at the Jazan winter event for naked women !#الشباب_أبها #البرد_وش_علاجه pic.twitter.com/Ovr4kxjXxD
— قبائل نجران (@Glllllll12) January 8, 2022
Controversy was so high that the Saudi Jazan Governor Prince Mohammad bin Nasser ordered an investigation over the participation of the scantily-clad dancers. This has been confirmed by AFP whose reported was published on different websites.
The governor of Jazan region directed an immediate investigation into the participation of dancers in semi-naked clothes in the activities of the Jizan Winter Festival 2022.
— Hashemalyasin (@Hashemalyasin3) January 9, 2022
Didn't he know anything about the dancers in the festival? or he is defrauding people?... pic.twitter.com/iszCIvg7Hh
It said Saudi authorities are investigating a samba performance by dancers some considered too scantily clad for the conservative kingdom, which has been diversifying its entertainment options.
The women, who were taking part in the Jazan Winter Festival, wore coloured feathers emblematic of the Brazilian tradition with their legs, arms and bellies uncovered.https://t.co/j47XvPaamv
— Naimat Khan (@NKMalazai) January 10, 2022
The French news agency reported that over the past week videos on social media have shown three foreign samba dancers displaying their moves in a main street of Jazan, in the southwest of the Kingdom. It said the women, who were taking part in the Jazan Winter Festival, wore coloured feathers emblematic of the Brazilian tradition with their legs, arms and bellies uncovered.
