Dubai: The former imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Adel Al Kalbani, has sparked a controversy not only in Saudi Arabia but also in the wider Middle East after taking part in a promotional video clip as part of the Riyadh Season 2021.
Al Kalbani appeared in a military uniform as he led a battle in a promotional clip for the famous virtual game “Field Combat”, which will be one of the activities of the Riyadh season.
Al Kalbani was seen along with some football stars and artists, such as Mohammad Al Deayea, Saeed Al Owairan, Khaled Abdul Rahman, and astronomer expert Khaled Al Zaqaq.
Turki Al Sheikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), shared the clip on his Twitter account, and within hours, it received more than 5 million views.
Al Kalbani was attacked by social media users.
Others saw that what Al Kalbani was doing “contravenes the orders of Allah and His Messenger.”
Some asked: “Is it appropriate for a former imam of the Meccan Grand Mosque to appear in this view when Al Kalbani is supposed to be a role model?”
However, Al Kalbani commented the video saying: “Do you think I can go to Hollywood?”.
