• Saudi officials assert that high-profile International performances like JLo’s are pivotal to “opening the kingdom’s cultural doors.”
• Many Muslims online have denounced JLO’s Jeddah concert as “shameful” due to its close proximity to the ka’ba.
Singer Jennifer Lopez’s performance at Jeddah Corniche Circuit during Saudi Arabia’s Grand Prix weekend has caused much distress and outrage among Muslims globally. Her F1 performance was staged a mere 80 kilometres from Mecca, Islam’s holiest city.
Part of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 push to diversify entertainment, the concert naturally ignited grave concerns for its proximity to the sacred site. Sporting a pink zip‑front catsuit, high ponytail and stilettos worthy of Barbie, the 55‑year‑old Bronx native kicked off her set at the final practice session Saturday before delivering a compilation of her well known songs.
International stars such as Usher, Major Lazer and Peggy Gou—and Arab artists Marwan Pablo, Hisham Abbas, Mostafa Amar and Hamid El‑Shaeri—rounded out the lineup.
The social media backlash has been fierce. Many decried staging a pop spectacle so near the Kaaba as “shameful” and “a direct insult to Islam.” Scores of Muslims and Imams argued that hosting “dance and revealing attire so close to Mecca is deeply disrespectful” and urged Saudi Arabia to remember its role and responsibility as custodian of Islam’s holiest sites.
Lopez, who previously courted criticism at Riyadh’s Elie Saab fashion show in December, remains at the centre of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s PR‑driven entertainment blitz. Despite protests over what the mass populous of Muslims who see this move as a violation of sacred land, officials defend these Vegas‑style events as essential to “opening the kingdom’s cultural doors”.
Later on Instagram Lopez told fans, “To all my international JLovers, I’ll be doing a few select show dates over the summer. I can’t wait to see all of you. It’s gonna be an amazing summer.” It’s unclear whether she meant a return trip to Saudi Arabia.
