20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Saudi Revolution

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A scene from the show Leila - The Land of Imagination. The show is part of the Riyadh season. Entertainment is a key sector in Saudi Arabia's socio-economic development plan to reduce the kingdom's dependence on oil. After decades of repression and censorship and with the recent reopening to international tourism, Saudis return to cinemas and theaters, women have access to stadiums, new cultural and sporting centers are opening, including the glittering Riyadh Boulevard and Winter Wonderland; internationally renowned artistic events are celebrated such as the Seasons and Middle Beast, the largest electronic music festival in the world. A fast revolution is already happening, having to deal with the Wahabite ideology, and, on the other side dominated by the unstoppable desire for change of a young society, where 50% of the population is less than 25 years old and where Internet access is uncensored.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 12.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Riyad, Saudi Arabia
Camera: LEICA SL (Typ 601)
Copyright: © clara vannucci