Lavish Dog Festivals in Saudi Arabia Amid Gaza’s Tragedy Spark Outrage
As Gaza’s children starve and die under siege, Saudi Arabia hosts multimillion-dollar dog festivals and announces a $40M dog-themed movie.
Watan-While the children of Gaza are surrounded by death—through starvation, disease, and relentless bombings—Saudi Arabia, through the head of its General Entertainment Authority, Turki Al Sheikh, proudly promotes grand dog festivals, spending millions from the state’s budget—despite claiming to be the “beating heart of Arabism” and a defender of the region’s causes.
Videos from the 2024 “Mada” Saluki Dog Racing Festival went viral, sparking shock and outrage across social media platforms. The footage shows dogs in lavish outfits participating in competitions like “Most Beautiful Dog,” receiving awards and honors—scenes that starkly contrast the daily images of starvation and death coming out of Gaza.
The festival, organized by Turki Al Sheikh under the General Entertainment Authority, is not the first of its kind. It’s part of a broader “vision,” which now even includes producing films about dogs. Al Sheikh announced a new movie titled “Seven Dogs” with a massive budget exceeding $40 million—reportedly one of the most expensive productions in Saudi cinema history.
Contradictions of Saudi Arabia’s Priorities Amid Gaza’s Crisis
Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinian children in Gaza are being killed daily. They’re deprived of water, electricity, and medicine, while hospitals and shelters are bombed—with a suspicious official silence and no tangible action from the so-called “big sister” Arab nations that are supposed to represent the heart of the Arab world.
Social media users have voiced their anger at what they call a “systematic provocation,” asking:
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How are dogs honored in Riyadh while Gaza’s children are buried under rubble?
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Has entertainment noise become more important than saving lives?
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Has Saudi money now become solely for shows, spectacles, and dogs?
In the so-called “Great Saudi Arabia,” as dubbed by pro-government media, spending has shifted from supporting oppressed peoples to funding dog races and pet fashion—while the Palestinian human being is left to face his fate alone.
So, is there any explanation for this contradiction?
Or has merely asking the question become a crime in an era where dogs come first… and people last?
