When more than 50 well-known comedians flew to Saudi Arabia for the Riyadh Comedy Festival, it sounded like a setup for a joke. But behind the laughter lies a troubling reality.
The festival, running through Thursday in Riyadh, is being promoted as a sign of the kingdom’s new openness under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (often called MBS). However, many see it as another attempt to distract the world from Saudi Arabia’s harsh human rights record.
This year alone, the Saudi government has reportedly executed over 240 people, including journalist Turki al-Jasser, known for exposing corruption. His death, along with others, has drawn widespread international outrage.
The timing of the festival also raised eyebrows. It coincided with the seventh anniversary of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post journalist brutally killed inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018—a killing the U.S. intelligence community later linked directly to MBS.
Before the festival began, performers were required to sign contracts agreeing not to joke about the royal family, Islam, or the government. While some comedians refused to participate, others accepted the lucrative offer. Those who performed largely focused on lighter, “safe” topics like cancel culture in the U.S.
During his set, Dave Chappelle reportedly said, “It’s easier to talk here than it is in America.” That comment didn’t sit well with many who pointed out the irony: in Saudi Arabia, people can be jailed—or even executed—for speaking their minds.
Human rights organizations continue to document cases of imprisoned journalists, women’s rights activists, and peaceful critics. So, while audiences in Riyadh may be laughing, the freedom to truly speak one’s mind remains no laughing matter.
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