However, both the comedians performing and the festival itself have faced significant backlash recently due to Saudi Arabia’s history of alleged human rights abuses, including the suppression of free speech, executions of political dissidents, and gender-based discrimination.

“We cannot ignore that this festival coincides with the seventh anniversary of the state-sanctioned murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and it takes place mere months after the Saudi government executed a journalist,” Dhongdue stated.

As per a declassified US intelligence report released in 2021, Salman was involved in the operation to capture or kill Khashoggi, contradicting Saudi officials’ claims that he was uninvolved.

Reportedly, the restrictions required comedians to avoid “performing any material that could degrade, defame, or bring public disrepute, contempt, scandal, embarrassment, or ridicule” upon Saudi Arabia, its leaders, public figures, culture, people, royal family, legal system, government, or any religion or religious practices.

US comedian Tim Dillon, who initially claimed the festival paid him US$375,000 ($569,000) to perform, an amount he deemed sufficient to “overlook” issues, later noted he was removed from the lineup due to prior jokes about Saudi Arabia’s suspected use of forced labor.

Human rights abuses

Turki al-Jassar, a journalist for an independent outlet known for uncovering alleged corruption within the Saudi royal family, was executed in June following his arrest in 2018 and reported torture in al-Ha’ir prison.

Dhongdue said she was sentenced “simply because of her choice of clothing and her support for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia”.

Why is Saudi Arabia holding a comedy festival?

Human Rights Watch said the investment in Saudi Arabia’s entertainment industry, alongside some social and economic advances for women and young people, has distracted from the alleged violations committed in the Middle Eastern nation.