Officials in Saudi Arabia shut down a mixed-gender nightclub that had opened in Jeddah, the country’s second-largest city, VOA news reports.
Several news sites reported Thursday’s shutdown, and American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo, who was to have been the headline act, tweeted his regrets: “Was literally on my way to the venue when I heard it was shut down due to some technicality. Was looking forward to performing. … Maybe we try again some other time.”
According to media reports, a popular Middle East-based nightclub known as “White” opened the branch in Jeddah — regarded as more liberal and diverse than the capital, Riyadh — but it was to be alcohol-free in keeping with the country’s Islamic laws.
Earlier Thursday, however, Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA) denied it had given the licenses required for the opening of the establishment.
In a statement posted on its official Twitter account, the GEA announced the opening of an immediate investigation into videos circulating online that purportedly showed patrons inside the venue.