Riyadh

There could not be a bigger irony than this one: while the rest of the world is shying away from pompous celebrations to welcome the New Year due to the surging Covid19 waves across the continents, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is preparing for mega shows to welcome 2022.

The once closed country where women were not to be seen in public places unless accompanied by male escorts and covered from tip to toe and all kinds of entertainment were haram (sin) and therefore, prohibited, will have singers from all over the world attending a musical concert to usher in 2022.

There was a big musical concern on Christmas.

The leader of the Islamic world for being the land of the holiest sites of Islam at Mecca and Madina, Saudi Arabia had imposed a strict code of Islam on its citizens. However, the reality of the depleting fossil fuel – that was the mainstay of the Kingdom’s economy so far – and due to the growing aspirations of the internet-dependent younger generation of Saudis, the Kingdom is going through a cultural and social revolution.

It has already allowed the freedom of women to drive, travel independently, and mixing of men and women, the Kingdom is trying to open the land to global tourists and integrate its economy with the rest of the world.

Local and other Arab singers will take part in concerts on the last day of 2021 and the concert will continue till the advent of the New Year.

Recently, Salman Khan Night was also organized in Riyadh, in which one and a half lakh people took part. 

This has raised eyebrows in many Islamic countries especially Pakistan where TV anchors and experts on international affairs criticized the Kingdom for flouting all rules of Islam that it had enforced so strictly and that was followed by many other countries with Islamic systems.

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However, Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (MBS) is clear-headed in transforming his country into a modern nation and a knowledge economy.

Even in India, some states have imposed restrictions on the celebrations of the New Year. The same is the case in most European countries.

Riyadh remains steadfast in its preparations for the New Year celebrations even though it has imposed conditions of social distancing in key mosques and places of worship in many places due to the rising cases of Covid-19 and its latest variant Omicron.