Comedian Jimmy Carr has defended his controversial performance at a Saudi Arabian gig, asserting that Western perceptions of the Middle East need to evolve.
The 53-year-old, celebrated for his stand-up and roles on programmes such as 8 Out Of 10 Cats, was among the performers at October's Riyadh Comedy Festival.
His involvement attracted significant criticism, primarily due to Saudi Arabia's human rights record. Human Rights Watch specifically claimed the festival aimed to deflect attention from the government's "brutal repression of free speech and other pervasive human rights violations".
Addressing his decision on The Louis Theroux Podcast, Carr argued that individuals should "give up" on the notion that the Middle East is identical to Western Europe.
He said: "I played it. I loved it.
"I think we need to give up on the idea that the Middle East becomes Western Europe.
"The Middle East is a very different place and the same people that will tell you 'diversity is our strength' will tell you 'don't go there. They're not like us'.
"The thing that I like about Saudi Arabia is the direction of travel. Look at where it was 10 years ago. Look at where it is now. The direction of travel is pretty good."
Saudi Arabia is known for its ultra-conservatism and has had a track record of human rights violations according to Amnesty International UK, including allegations of journalists and activists being imprisoned or sometimes killed for criticising the Crown Prince.
The line-up of mostly male comedians were also criticised for being paid to 'look the other way', with rumours of high appearance fees.
When asked directly how much Carr was paid, he said: "I was paid, I would say, a commensurate amount with selling out an 8,000 seater room. So it's a big room, and I got paid. I earned it."
Speaking about freedom of speech and his material potentially offending people, Carr added: "You have to deal with the consequences. If you're going to say that, you've got to be willing to say it and go, yeah, I don't regret telling that joke. That's fine.
"Some people really were upset by it. That's OK. I've got the people that come and see me and they really like that stuff, and I've got to serve them, not someone else."
Human rights group Amnesty International has since criticised the comedian's comments as hypocritical.
Felix Jakens, Amnesty International UK's head of campaigns, said: "This is entertainment-washing in action - using big-name comedians and glossy festivals to project reform while repression continues offstage. No amount of laughter can disguise the reality of Saudi Arabia's human rights record.
"Last year alone, a record 345 people were executed, many after deeply flawed trials.
"Peaceful women's rights activists like Manahel al-Otaibi remain behind bars, while British nationals such as Ahmed al-Doush have been jailed over social media posts. To this day, justice is still denied to the family of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
"Comedians performing there should ask whether they are challenging repression or helping to legitimise it. Performing 'free speech' in a country where speaking freely can cost you your life isn't brave - it's hypocrisy."
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