- Police have arrested the woman and placed her under the custody of a social welfare center pending investigation by the Office of the Public Prosecutor.
JEDDAH: The Arabic hashtag for “Girl hugs Majid Al-Muhandis” was trending in Saudi Arabia yesterday.
During the Iraqi-Saudi singer’s concert at Souq Okaz in Taif on Friday, one audience member was overwhelmed by the presence of her favorite singer and ran to the stage to hug him.
This incident brought a variety of responses, with many arguing that this was a normal reaction when someone meets their favorite celebrities.
Tweeting in Arabic, a Saudi journalist, writer and novelist Samar Al-Mogren @s_almogren said: “Admiration and obsessions with artists and celebrities exist all over the world, so do not interpret the situation based on nationality.”
@KhaledSadig said: “Fangirling is a condition, not a crime. It happens in every concert around the world, just tighten the security and the problem be solved.”
Others criticized the incident. Tweeting in Arabic, @TurkiShalhoub said: “Shameful, sad and dishonorable sight.”
Makkah police arrested the woman for her actions, which go against the anti-harassment law.
The woman was placed under the custody of the girls' welfare institution in Taif and the case was referred to the Public Prosecution