JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s legendary singer Mohamad Abdu was keen on mentioning his support for women in his nation at recent concerts.
His comments come as women have recently been allowed to drive and attend music concerts.
His fatherly side came out when, at one concert, he advised men to consider women as they drive for the first time.
“My daughter or yours might be taking to the roads to drive on her own, we are highly responsible for protecting them and must behave responsibly, to prove to the world how civilized we are,” the singer said in a recent video.
In another concert, held in Jeddah, Abdu addressed a mixed-gender audience by urging male attendees to respect fellow women.
“Our daughters and families are our guests here, what a nice experience this is, and what is even nicer is that we prove to those who granted us this chance that we deserve it.”
He addressed his female fans by telling them that men will be keen on protecting and serving their interests, as they head to drive or as they attend music concerts.
“They will be among the first to care for you and protect your interests,” he said.
Legendary singer Mohamad Abdu voices support for Saudi Arabian women driving
Legendary singer Mohamad Abdu voices support for Saudi Arabian women driving
Director Kaouther Ben Hania rejects Berlin honor over Gaza
DUBAI: Kaouther Ben Hania, the Tunisian filmmaker behind “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” refused to accept an award at a Berlin ceremony this week after an Israeli general was recognized at the same event.
The director was due to receive the Most Valuable Film award at the Cinema for Peace gala, held alongside the Berlinale, but chose to leave the prize behind.
On stage, Ben Hania said the moment carried a sense of responsibility rather than celebration. She used her remarks to demand justice and accountability for Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza in 2024, along with two paramedics who were shot while trying to reach her.
“Justice means accountability. Without accountability, there is no peace,” Ben Hania said.
“The Israeli army killed Hind Rajab; killed her family; killed the two paramedics who came to save her, with the complicity of the world’s most powerful governments and institutions,” she said.
“I refuse to let their deaths become a backdrop for a polite speech about peace. Not while the structures that enabled them remain untouched.”
Ben Hania said she would accept the honor “with joy” only when peace is treated as a legal and moral duty, grounded in accountability for genocide.
