Three people were wounded on Monday, 11 November, in a knife attack in Riyadh while attending a musical show, state television reported.
"Riyadh police arrested an Arab resident with a knife after he stabbed two men and a woman in a theater troupe," Al-Ekhbariya said, adding that the wounded were in a stable state.
According to footage from state television, the man rushed to the stage to attack the actors, dressed in costumes.
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- ??????? ???????? (@AlArabiya_KSA) November 11, 2019The television did not specify the nationality of the attacker, but the pro-government newspaper Okaz said he was a 33-year-old Yemeni, citing the capital's police.
"Vision 2030"
This is the first attack of its kind since the establishment of a plan to promote entertainment by the authorities to Saudi citizens. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wants to rid Saudi Arabia of its image of ultra-conservative country with permission to drive for women, reopening of cinemas, mixed concerts and other shows.
International stars like the American singer Janet Jackson, the American rapper 50 Cent or the South Korean group BTS have already performed on a Saudi stage, something unimaginable just two years ago.
The development of the entertainment industry as well as tourism is part of the "Vision 2030" plan of the Crown Prince, which aims to diversify the economy of the ultra-dependent kingdom of oil.
But these reforms led to the tension of the most conservative in the kingdom. This year, human rights activists announced the arrest of religious monk Omar al-Muqbil for criticizing the organization for the entertainment promotion plan, saying the concerts he was organizing were "in the process of erase the original identity of Saudi society ".
With AFP