Riyadh Comedy Festival draws top U.S. comedians amid controversy

Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Comedy Festival is attracting global stars including Dave Chappelle, Pete Davidson and Kevin Hart, with reports that some are being paid more than $1 million each. The event is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s push to rebrand the conservative kingdom through sports and entertainment. Human rights groups say the campaign is an attempt to whitewash abuses, pointing to restrictions on free speech and the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.