Saudi entertainment chief sacked after outrage over circus

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Monday sacked the head of its entertainment authority, state media said, following a backlash against a circus featuring women wearing figure-hugging costumes.

“Ahmad al-Khatib, chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority has been removed from his position,” the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said citing a royal decree. The pro-government Sabq news website said Khatib was dismissed over a controversial circus performance in Riyadh, which included women wearing “indecent clothes”. A video circulating on social media appeared to show a female performer in a tight pink costume, drawing outrage from different quarters.