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Cardi B Caps Riyadh’s Soundstorm With 80-Minute Set and Modest Gaurav Gupta Couture

The performance highlights Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 drive to attract global entertainers.

Overview

  • WWD reports the headlining set ran about 80 minutes and drew from both her earlier catalog and her sophomore album, Am I the Drama?.
  • On stage she greeted the crowd with “As-salamu alaykum” and said “Everything is mashallah,” later praising Saudi hospitality on Instagram Live.
  • She performed in a fully covered neon pink custom look by Gaurav Gupta, with hood and cape elements reworked during rehearsals for freer movement.
  • In the days before the show she posted videos from Riyadh’s luxury malls, appeared in abaya- and hijab-inspired looks, and described the city as “brand new.”
  • Her appearance follows a recent legal victory in a $24 million civil case and has renewed debate over Western artists performing in Saudi Arabia given human-rights concerns.