The rave party comes close on the heels of the Red Sea international film festival which was the first of its kind to be held in Saudi Arabia. The festival was a star-studded affair. It saw women strutting the red carpet in sleeveless gowns. A woman filmmaker won the best director award and an openly queer man won the best actor award. The sands are clearly shifting in Saudi Arabia. The socially conservative kingdom is trying to shake off its regressive image while limiting the role of religion in public life and is pitching itself as a modern, liberal and tourism-friendly kingdom.
