Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Mar 05, 2026

Justin Bieber Facing Pressure to Cancel Saudi Arabia Grand Prix Concert

Justin Bieber Facing Pressure to Cancel Saudi Arabia Grand Prix Concert

Justin Bieber is facing pressure from the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) to cancel his upcoming concert in Saudi Arabia.

The HRF sent a letter to the Canadian singer, highlighting instances of abuse such as a crackdown on dissidents, women’s rights activists, and the LGBTQ community. Bieber’s latest album, Justice, features support for several social justice movements.

Rapper Nicki Minaj received a similar letter from the HRF and canceled her concert appearance in 2019. Other stars who are slated to appear alongside Justin Bieber in December are Jason Derulo, A$AP Rocky, and David Guetta.

An excerpt from the HRF letter reads: “You and your fellow musical artists have tremendous media influence, which MBS hopes to manipulate and profit from, for his own benefit to the detriment of the Saudi people, who will face restrictions that will not apply to you and other guests of the Formula 1 Grand Prix.”

“Your performance affords the Saudi regime the opportunity to distract the world from the terrible conditions that women and the LGBTQ+ community endure in the Kingdom, the war that Saudi Arabia is furthering in Yemen, and the repressive conditions that Saudis face every day.”

“HRF believes that your participation in an event sponsored by a murderous regime involved in gross human rights violations – especially of women and minorities – sends a message that dicatorships can purchase legitimacy. Furthermore, it would be disastrous for a public figure of your standing who has articulated a commitment to civil rights and social justice.”

You can read the full letter the Human Rights Foundation sent to Nicki Minaj here.

Travis Scott recently dropped a $5.5 million one-off show he was scheduled to perform in Saudi Arabia on November 19. That performance is the second one the rapper has canceled following what happened at Astroworld in Houston.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Iran Says Its Strikes Target Only U.S. Military Assets and Denies Attacking Saudi Arabia
Drone Strike Hits U.S. Embassy in Riyadh as Middle East Conflict Escalates
Tom Brady’s Saudi Flag Football Event May Shift to U.S. as Middle East Conflict Disrupts Plans
Iran War Strikes Saudi Arabia at a Critical Moment for Its Economic Transformation
Saudi Cabinet Declares Kingdom Will Take All Necessary Measures to Defend National Security
United States Urges Citizens to Leave Fourteen Middle Eastern Countries as Iran War Escalates
Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura Refinery Targeted Again in Second Drone Attack Within Two Days
Saudi Pro League Orders Clubs to Continue Fixtures Despite Rising Middle East Conflict
Trump Pursues Major Civil Nuclear Agreement With Saudi Arabia Amid Regional Turmoil
Mass Drone Attacks Strike Gulf States as Iran Conflict Spreads Across Region
No Verified Confirmation of Ronaldo Departure Linked to Iran Conflict or AFC Suspension
No Verified Evidence of Israeli Intelligence Arrests in Qatar or Saudi Arabia
Drone Attack Forces Temporary Shutdown of Saudi Arabia’s Largest Oil Refinery
Israel Intensifies Air Campaign in Tehran as Iran Expands Regional Retaliation
Iranian Strikes Escalate Middle East Conflict, Drawing Saudi Arabia Closer to Wider War
No Verified Confirmation of Drone Strike on King Fahd Causeway Amid Regional Tensions
No Verified Evidence Saudi Crown Prince Is Seeking to Weaken Israel Amid Regional Tensions
Reports Emerge of Drone Strike Near US Embassy in Saudi Arabia as Americans Told to Shelter
Saudi Arabia Weighs Strategic Options as Tensions With Iran Intensify
Iran Expands Strikes on Saudi and Qatari Infrastructure, Opening a New Front in Gulf Conflict
Western Navies Sound Alarm as Russian Shadow Tankers Transit NATO Waters in Defiance of Sanctions
U.S. Embassy in Riyadh Struck by Drones Amid Escalating Iran Conflict
Imola Emerges as Standby Venue if Bahrain or Saudi Arabia Grands Prix Are Cancelled
Uncertainty Clouds $24 Billion Gulf Investment Linked to Paramount–WBD Deal
Middle East Strikes Disrupt Qatar LNG, Saudi Refining and Israeli Energy Fields
Gulf States Signal Possible Collective Action Over Iran’s Escalating Strikes
Saudi Arabia Summons Iranian Ambassador After Cross-Border Attacks
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Drones Targeting Ras Tanura Oil Refinery as Conflict Escalates
Saudi Arabia Clarifies It Supported Diplomacy With Iran, Not Military Escalation
Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Confer on Escalating Iran Crisis
Drone Strike Forces Shutdown of Saudi Arabia’s Largest Oil Refinery
Saudi Arabia Signals Harder Line on Iran as Regional Conflict Deepens
Strikes in Qatar and Saudi Arabia Pull Energy Infrastructure Deeper Into Expanding Middle East Conflict
U.S. and Israel Intensify Strikes on Iran as Conflict Expands to Lebanon and Gulf States
Violent Pro-Iranian Protesters Storm U.S. Consulate in Karachi
Missile Debris Sparks Fires at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port Near Palm Jumeirah
Iran Strikes U.S. Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain Amid Wider Gulf Retaliation
Emerging Saudi–Turkish Alignment Draws Attention as Potential Strategic Challenge for Israel
Saudi Arabia Unveils $100 Billion Technology Investment Fund to Accelerate Post-Oil Diversification
US Lawmakers Question White House Consideration of Saudi Nuclear Enrichment Framework
Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Firm Commitment to Two-State Solution in Renewed Diplomatic Push
Saudi Arabia Launches Central Kitchen in Gaza to Deliver 24,000 Meals a Day
Saudi Arabia Announces $346 Million Support Package for Yemen in Renewed Humanitarian Push
Saudi Investors Increase US Equity Exposure Amid Domestic Market Weakness
Saudi Arabia Unveils Major Desert Gas Development in Strategic Shift Toward Diversified Energy Growth
Satellite Images Indicate Increased Aircraft Presence at Saudi Airbase Hosting US Forces
Telephone Diplomacy Sparks Tensions Between Two Key US Allies After Trump Intervention
Asian LPG Prices Surge After Damage Forces Saudi Aramco Export Disruptions
Saudi Arabia Unveils $100 Billion AI Infrastructure Fund to Challenge US and China
Saudi Stocks Close Lower as Tadawul All Share Index Falls 1.28 Percent
×