DUBAI: US-Palestinian model Bella Hadid was in Abu Dhabi on Friday night to support her boyfriend, R&B singer The Weeknd, as he took to the stage during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after-race concert series.
The show was hampered by health and safety issues, however, as some angry fans reportedly attempted to scale a fence after organizers were forced to close the gates and bar entry to some concert goers.
FLASH Entertainment, the promoters behind the post-race concerts, issued a statement in the aftermath of the concert, saying a number of fans arrived at once, prompting the decision to close the gates on safety grounds.
The organizers expressed disappointment over a number of fans who reportedly stormed the gates in an attempt to gain entry to the gig.
“Health and safety is our number one concern… du Arena can easily accommodate 35,000 people. A large number of fans arrived simultaneously to The Weeknd concert and gates were closed for safety… We understand this is disappointing and frustrating. It is disappointing to hear there were instances of inappropriate fan behavior,” organizers said in a released statement, according to Time Out Abu Dhabi magazine.
The show must go on, however, and fans will flock to the stadium to see British artist Sam Smith perform on Saturday night, while many will attend Sunday night’s performance by legendary rock band Guns N’ Roses.
For her part, Hadid paid homage to the capital city’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, posting a stunning snap of the complex on her Instagram account.
“Magic...Nothing in the world (is) more beautiful to me,” she captioned the photograph.
Hadid — who has in the past spoken about her Islamic faith, telling Porter Magazine in 2017 that she is “proud to be a Muslim” — was in town to support pop superstar The Weeknd as he regaled the crowd with a playlist of his greatest hits, including “I Feel It Coming” and “Pray For Me.”
Hadid took to Instagram to share a photo of The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, posing on top of a replica of comic hero Batman’s batmobile.
The couple recently rekindled their much-reported-on romance after splitting in November 2016.
