A number of Instagram influencers and models are receiving criticism and accusations of “selling out” after posting sponsored content promoting the Saudi Arabian music festival MDL Beast. The backlash comes after the Instagram account known as Diet Prada made a post explicitly calling out by name the models and influencers who were seen promoting the festival. According to The Verge, well known models such as Elsa Hosk and Nadine Leopold were among those endorsing the event.
According to anonymous sources, Diet Prada was told that influencers were offered six-figure sums in exchange for posts that geo-tagged Saudi Arabia, in addition to attending the festival. Many of the posts made by models and influencers in attendance are accompanied by the hashtags #mdlbeastambassador and #mdlbeastpartner, indicating it was sponsored content for which they received payment.
The festival is the latest effort by the Saudi government to rehabilitate the country’s image. Diet Prada mentions the “human rights crisis” the country faces, naming incidents such as the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi ordered by the Saudi crown prince and the arrest of women’s right activist Loujain al-Hathloul. The post also notes the country’s nonexistent LGBTQ rights and the criminalization of same-sex relations, which can be punishable by death.
It appears the country is turning to entertainment as a way to repair its image: in 2017, Vision 2030 was introduced, an attempt to diversify the country’s economy with an estimated $2.7 billion set aside for entertainment purposes. In an attempt to attract more tourists, the country changed its visa program, which now allows visas for non-religious tourists and doesn’t require female tourists to wear the traditional abaya robe, although “modest clothing” is still a requirement.
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