13 days of laughter festival in Saudi Arabia! Is the festival just a festival, or will it also raise questions?

A comedy festival is starting tomorrow, Friday (September 26) in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. This festival will last for 13 consecutive days, which will last until October 9. About 50 comedians from different countries of the world will participate in it. Those interested in participating will have to buy tickets.

However, the human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) has raised serious questions about this event. According to the organization, the Saudi government is trying to divert people's attention from the human rights violations they have committed through such a joyful event.

Because, during this comedy festival, it will be seven years since the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Seven years ago, a Saudi government assassination team killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey, and later tried to melt his body.

“Comedians who earn large sums of money in Saudi Arabia should not remain silent,” said Joe Shea, Saudi researcher at Human Rights Watch. “They can use this opportunity to demand the release of imprisoned human rights activists. They should also be vigilant about the people the Saudi government has hanged.”

The organization said it had tried to contact representatives and managers of some of the comedians, but had not received a response.

The show will feature a lineup of well-known comedians from the United States and the United Kingdom, including Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Aziz Ansari, Pete Davidson and Jimmy Carr.

The festival is being billed as the world’s largest comedy show. It is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan, which aims to diversify the economy away from oil.