RIYADH, Nov 13 (NNN-SPA) – A man stabbed three performers, during a live show in Saudi Arabia‘s capital, state media said, adding that, the victims were in stable condition.
Footage broadcast by state television showed the man, identified as a 33-year-old Yemeni, running onto the stage in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Park, during a musical performance by, what appeared to be, a theatre troupe.
The victims, two men and a woman, sustained “superficial wounds” and were stabilise, after receiving medical care.
A video tweeted by Al Ekhbariya, appeared to show a man in street clothes, rushing onto the stage towards a group of costumed performers, and then falling to the ground as someone else chased him
Another online video showed the scene from another angle, as the assailant tumbled off the stage and the performers fled.
The motive for the attack was not immediately clear.
King Abdullah Park is one of several venues hosting a two-month-long entertainment festival, as part of the government’s efforts, to open up Saudi society and diversify its economy away from oil.
The Riyadh Season festival’s website said, the offerings at the park include live shows and music, light installations, wall climbing and zip-lining.
Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, eased social restrictions and promoted entertainment, previously banned in the conservative kingdom. The General Entertainment Authority said, it plans to pump $64 billion into the sector in the coming decade
But Saudi officials warn that, introducing such reforms in a society steeped in conservatism is fraught with risk.
While they are popular among Saudi Arabia’s majority young population, the reforms could anger arch-conservatives, including hard-line religious leaders and the religious police, whose powers have been clipped in recent years.
“After this attack, we can expect a sharper crackdown on those opposed to Saudi’s entertainment push.”– NNN-SPA