RIYADH – Saudi authorities have arrested a TV personality for performing the ‘dab’ dance move during a concert, local media has reported.
In a video, actor and singer Abdallah Al Shaharani – who took part in a musical festival in the city of Taif on Monday night – can be seen putting down his microphone in order to encourage the audience to clap along.
Shaharani then rolls his arms and executes the ‘dab’, while the audience whoops and cheers.
The famous dab move was created by US rapper Skippa da Flippa in 2014, and is imitated by other artists, celebrities and politicians around the world.
However, the wildly popular move was outlawed in Saudi Arabia by the National Committee for Drug Control, on the grounds that it alludes to weed and other illegal substances.
Abdul-Ella Al-Sharif, Secretary-General of the National Committee for Drug Control, told Okaz newspaper that the artist’s dance move was “contrary to the national strategy to combat drugs” and he had been arrested in the same way anyone who “incites or advocates for abuse of drugs” would be.
However, Mr Shaharani, on Tuesday, apologised for his actions on his Twitter account.
“I am most apologetic to our honourable government and my dear president for the spontaneous movement I made in the Ta’if Festival. Accept my apology,” the message read.
