Saudi Arabia uses model of Holy Kaaba in opening festivities for 2024 event

Rating Justification

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this claim and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, the iVerify Pakistan team conducted a reverse image search as well as a combination of different keywords to trace the original source of the viral screenshot.

Multiple posts from social media users since November 16, 2024, were circulating an image showing the opening festivities of an event in Saudi Arabia, alleging that they used a model of the Holy Kaaba, the black cube at Makkah’s Grand Mosque. However, the viral image is a screenshot from a sequence of a cube-based projection system used in the opening ceremony for Riyadh Season 2023.

Saudi Arabia has kicked off wide-ranging reforms as part of its Vision 2030 social and economic reform programme overseen by Crown Prince Moham­med bin Salman that is aimed at creating an attractive environment for investing in human capital and attracting skilled labour.

The 2024 edition of Riyadh Season, a series of entertainment, cultural, and sporting events held in the Saudi capital, is currently under way since October 12, 2024.

HOW IT STARTED

On Nov 16, American Islamic writer Daniel Haqiqatjou posted an image on X of a structure seemingly resembling the Kaaba on a stage with performers with the following caption: “The Saudi entertainment authority has opened their festivities with a model of the Kaaba, projecting images of singing and dancing women onto it.”

The post gained 1.5 million views and was reshared 4,100 times.

The same image was also shared on X on Nov 17 by Razi Tahir, who described himself as an investigative journalist in his X bio, with the following caption: “At the beginning of a fashion show in Saudi Arabia, a scene was displayed resembling the image of the Holy Kaaba. Simultaneously, dancers appeared on the screens. The Al Saud family is making every effort to erase Islamic values on the sacred land of Hijaz.”

The post gained over 326,000 views.

A Syrian user also shared the same photo with the caption: “Saudi Arabia has desecrated the image of the Kaaba. What happened to all the Muslim zeolites around the world? Or can they only be weaponised against Israel’s enemies and Nato’s enemies?”

The post racked up over 229,000 views and 1,500 reshares.

The same image and claim were widely shared by other users on X as can be seen here and here.

The image was also widely circulated on Facebook as well, especially from pages sharing content about Islam and Muslims, as can be seen here, here, and here.

Former actor Mishi Khan also issued a video message on her Instagram account on Nov 17 addressing the alleged incident, saying that it was “shameful to use the Holy Kaaba model in a musical concert with semi-nude images being projected on it … The Saudi authorities should apologise to millions of Muslims across the globe.”

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its high virality and significant public interest since it pertained to serious allegations about the alleged disrespect of the Holy Kaaba.

Conducting a reverse image search on the video yielded a video on YouTube dated October 30, 2023.

The 14-minute video was titled: “Riyadh Season 2023 Opening Ceremony in Kingdom Arena ?? | Boxing With Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou.”

The video features a cube-based video projection system being used during the opening ceremony for the 2023 edition of Riyadh Season. Notably, at the 4:56-minute mark of the video, the projection system can be seen with the falling gold glittery sparkle effects.

This is the same visual as the viral image circulating online, thus showing that the image was actually a screenshot of a singular moment from the video projection and not a model of the Holy Kaaba since the screens of the cube-based projection system constantly featured shifting visuals and graphic elements.

The gold trim on the cube was actually part of a longer presentation which showed the gold effects falling like a curtain on the screens.

Pakistan Ulema Council chairman Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi also addressed the matter in a post on X on Nov 17, saying that “the pictures of the icon of God’s Kaaba in Riyadh have not been confirmed in any way” and further termed them “fake and baseless”.

A similar statement of his was also posted by the Pakistan Ulema Council in a post on X on Nov 18.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that Saudi Arabia used a model of the Holy Kaaba on the stage of opening festivities for a 2024 event or a fashion show is false.

The visuals circulating online are actually of a cube-based projection system when a still frame was taken from a longer sequence of falling gold sparkle effects and posed off as resembling the Kaaba. Furthermore, the projection system was used in the opening ceremony of the Riyadh Season 2023, not the current year of 2024.

Evidence and References

October 30, 2023, YouTube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvmn0ttBAz0&ab_channel=iMteyazVlogs