Justin Bieber urged to cancel gig in Saudi Arabia by Jamal Khashoggi’s fiancée

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentProminent Arab world broadcaster MBC is ramping up film and TV production in Saudi Arabia, where a slew of high-end projects in the pipeline is set to join U.S.

Saudi Arabia’s nascent film industry is in the spotlight this week thanks to the inaugural edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, which runs until December 15.

according to The Wrap. The movie was initially targeted to open in Saudi Arabia on Dec.

Musical fans in the Gulf states won’t be getting to see the new “West Side Story”.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterSome audiences in the Middle East won’t get to experience the epic love story between Maria and Tony.Disney and 20th Century’s “West Side Story,” director Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the classic musical, has been banned in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait. In some cases, like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the film wasn’t granted a release certificate.

Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” will not screen in the Middle East nations of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, as well as other countries, TheWrap has confirmed. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait both did not grant the film a release certificate, while local censors in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates had requested cuts that Disney and 20th Century Studios opted not to make, an individual with knowledge said, and the film will not be released to those markets.

A film festival is about more than just the films and the festival center. It is about the location, the journey, the experience. Here on Deadline we’ll be bringing you updates on what it’s like to be on the ground at the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival, Saudi Arabia’s first ever film festival. 

Disney/20th Century Studios’ West Side Story is due to begin international box office rollout on Wednesday this week, but it will not be heading to movie theaters in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar or the UAE, Deadline has learned. While an official reason has not been made public, the situation is believed to be related to the character called Anybodys.

Telfaz11, the Saudi Arabian production and finance company, has struck a deal to acquire Riyadh-based producer Last Scene Films.

Justin Bieber performed to a packed crowd in the Red Sea city of Jiddah in Saudi Arabia, singing some of his most popular hits.

Justin Bieber took to the stage to perform at the Grand Prix Formula One race in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, despite calls for him and other artists to cancel their appearances at the event.

Lewis Hamilton took an incredible victory in an action-packed inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to draw level with Max Verstappen in the world championship standings heading into next weekend’s final race of the year.

Tributes have been paid after a Scot died at sea in Saudi Arabia.

Lewis Hamilton has spoken of his discomfort surrounding racing in Saudi Arabia, adding he believes he is now "duty-bound" to continue to raise awareness for certain issues, including women and LGBTQ+ rights in such countries. The event has faced criticism from many organisations, and on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch expressed concern to Formula One about what they felt was "a deliberate strategy to deflect attention from its pervasive human rights abuses" by holding a race in Jeddah.

Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi, who'd published articles in The Washington Post criticizing his nation's crown prince, Muhammad bin Salman, was murdered and dismembered in the Saudi consulate in 2018. He'd gone there to pick up documents he needed to marry his fiance, Hatice Cengiz.

Justin Bieber wishes his brother Jaxon Bieber a happy birthday in a sweet tribute.

published Saturday in the Washington Post, urging the pop star to “send a powerful message to the world that your name and talent will not be used to restore the reputation of a regime that kills its critics.”A U.S. intelligence report in February implicated Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the 2018 murder of Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

An open letter in the Washington Post from the woman who was engaged to slain reporter Jamal Khashoggi is urging Justin Bieber not to play a Dec. 5 show in the kingdom.