YAHOO
On a stage inside the historical centre of Jeddah, the main gateway for Muslim pilgrims heading to Mecca, rapper Ty Dolla $ign asked his screaming Saudi fans a few questions.
“Where the hot girls at?” the dreadlocked 41-year-old American (real name: Tyrone William Griffin Jr) bellowed into the microphone during his set at the Balad Beast music festival.
“How many of you trying to get lit after the show tonight? How many of you trying to get faded?”
It was an eyebrow-raising scene in conservative Saudi Arabia, which first allowed large-scale mixed-gender festivals only about five years ago, and maintains a strict no-alcohol policy.
Yet Ty Dolla $ign’s performance in Jeddah’s oldest neighbourhood, known as Al-Balad, alongside artists like Wu-Tang Clan and Major Lazer underscored efforts to revamp the UNESCO World Heritage site, expanding its allure for young Saudis and foreigners.
Under Vision 2030, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ambitious plan to develop a post-oil economy in the world’s biggest crude exporter, authorities are targeting 3,000 new hotel rooms in Al-Balad as they try to attract millions more tourists.
Beyond events such as Balad Beast, the 2.5-square-kilometre (nearly one square mile) area is being transformed by an influx of cafes, museums, performance spaces and workshops for artists and craftspeople…
