DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi King Salman sacked the head of the country’s entertainment authority after religiously conservative citizens took to social media to denounce a Russian circus show that included female performers in tightly-fitted attire, semi-official media reported Tuesday.
The king issued the royal decree relieving Ahmed al-Khatib of his post as head of the General Entertainment Authority late Monday. Semi-official newspaper Sabq reported Tuesday he was fired because of public backlash over the Russian circus, which was performed in the capital, Riyadh.
An Arabic hashtag on Twitter that translates into “Naked Russian Women in Riyadh” was trending in Saudi Arabia with comments by people upset with the appearance of the Russian female performers, including a trapeze artist, in body hugging leotards during the show.
The circus, which was scheduled to run for five days until June 19, is meant to coincide with the presence of the Saudi national team at the World Cup in Russia, according to the entertainment authority’s ticketing website. It was not immediately clear if the remaining shows in Riyadh had been canceled or altered. (AP)