Toby Keith Opens Up About Playing in Saudi Arabia

TOBY KEITH OPENS UP ABOUT PLAYING IN SAUDI ARABIA

Toby Keith recently became the first western artist to perform in Saudi Arabia, taking the stage in conjunction with President Donald Trump's visit there in May. Keith performed for an all-male audience in the kingdom's culturally conservative capital of Riyadh, where public music performances of any kind had been banned for a quarter of a century. In an interview with the Greeley Tribune, Toby opens up about performing in Saudi Arabia, saying, "That was like being on another planet." And with songs that reference everything from marijuana to alcohol, Toby had to make a few adjustments to his Saudi set list. He says, "You have to deal with a lot of restrictions. It was very different than anything I've ever done in my life."

As for performing to an all-male audience, Toby says, "They told me if I'd have done this next year, women would have been able to come. The idea was that the king was rolling out the red carpet [for President Trump]."