'Halal B': Cardi B arrives in Saudi Arabia ahead of Riyadh performance

New York rapper Cardi B posted footage of her trip to Saudi Arabia, where she is due to perform in Riyadh.

2 min read

13 December, 2025

Cardi B raised eyebrows due to her presence in the conservative Kingdom [Getty]

US rapper Cardi B, real name Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, posted pictures on Friday of her arrival in Saudi Arabia, ahead of her performance in Riyadh, raising eyebrows due to her presence in the conservative Kingdom.

The rapper is known for her daring clothing choices as well as explicit lyrics, reasons many noted surprised them when she announced she would be performing in Saudi Arabia.

"Hello Saudi Arabia... Halal B has arrived," the Grammy award-winning artist posted on Instagram, with a video of herself wearing a long black dress and headcovering, which resembles the abaya typically worn by Muslim women in the Kingdom.

The post received over 1.3 million 'likes' on the platform, drawing thousands of comments from fans.

"Halal B is the new nickname? That's fire," wrote one user.

"Salamualaikum Sista!!" wrote another.

The rapper was seen by fans at Riyadh's Solitaire Mall sporting the same outfit, with social media users sharing videos of her speaking with locals.

Speaking later in a live broadcast on social media, the New York artist commented on her popularity among locals.

"The little kids know me (here), everybody knows me, the grown-ups know me. These people out here are very polite…they are very kind. These are one of the nicest people," she said.

Cardi B will perform on Saturday at the MDLBeast Soundstorm 2025 festival in Riyadh. The festival also features performances from Post Malone, Pitbull, and Calvin Harris.

Saudi Arabia has, in recent years, been trying to diversify its economy away from oil, and has sought to polish its image internationally by investing in the sports and entertainment industries.

Rights groups have previously denounced what they have called entertainment being used to "whitewash" gross human rights violations.

Human Rights Watch and other groups have warned that in the last decade, civic space in Saudi Arabia has become virtually non-existent, while authorities have also led a crackdown on the freedom of expression.