Holly Kaaba to Jolly Kaaba! When Fashion and Sacredness Collide at Elie Saab's Riyadh fashion show

Elie Saab's Riyadh fashion show has managed to spark outrage on a scale that even the boldest PR stunt couldn’t have planned. At the center of the drama? Lebanese designer Elie Saab’s runway, where models like Jennifer Lopez, Camila Cabello, and Celine Dion strutted their stuff on a stage that bore an uncanny resemblance to the Kaaba, the most sacred site in Islam. And no, this wasn’t a case of “inspired by tradition.” It was the kind of tone-deaf creativity that has social media burning hotter than a Riyadh summer.

Holy Symbolism Turned Haute Couture?

The Kaaba is more than a cube—it’s the beating heart of Islamic worship, the direction every Muslim faces during prayer. Turning its image into a mirrored runway for a glitzy fashion show? That’s not “avant-garde”; that’s sacrilegious with sequins on top.

One X user summed up the outrage perfectly:“SHAME ON SAUDI ARABIA. The Holy Kaaba is not your prop for ‘progressive’ stunts.”And they’re right. How do you justify juxtaposing non-modest clothing with the Kaaba’s sacred geometry? Spoiler alert: you don’t.

Vision 2030 or Vision 20/No at Elie Saab's Riyadh fashion show?

This isn’t Saudi Arabia’s first attempt at flipping the script with its ambitious Vision 2030, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. From music festivals to WWE events, the kingdom is trying to rebrand itself as the new hub for global culture. But here’s the thing: progress shouldn’t come at the cost of trampling over sacred values.

Critics have already been side-eyeing the kingdom’s recent moves, like rumors of opening the first liquor shop in Saudi Arabia. Combine that with this fashion fiasco, and you’ve got a recipe for what many see as a cultural identity crisis. Is Saudi Arabia trying to impress the West so badly that it’s willing to alienate its own people in the process?

Models, Modesty, and Missteps

When you hire global icons like J.Lo and Celine Dion to walk the runway, you’re clearly aiming for maximum spectacle. But walking them around a structure resembling the Kaaba? That’s not “bold,” it’s borderline cultural gaslighting. It’s hard to take the kingdom’s claims of reform seriously when they can’t seem to respect the very traditions they’re supposedly modernizing.

Fashion has always been about making statements, but there’s a fine line between provocative and disrespectful. In this case, it’s not clear whether the message was “Look how progressive we are” or just “Oops, we didn’t think this through.”

From Sacred to Spectacle: Where’s the Line?

Here’s the real question: What’s next? A DJ spinning tracks on a replica of the Prophet’s Mosque? The line between modernization and mockery isn’t just blurry—it’s being actively ignored.

This isn’t just about a tone-deaf design choice. It’s about a growing sense that Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is trading in authenticity for superficial stunts. The Kaaba-inspired runway isn’t progress; it’s proof that the kingdom is trying so hard to rewrite its image for a global audience that it’s losing sight of the values that make it unique.

Final Thought: A Fashion Faux Pas with a Legacy Hangover

Elie Saab’s show wasn’t just a fashion fail; it was a cultural blunder. Saudi Arabia might be trying to show the world it’s ready for the global stage, but if Kaaba meets cabaret is their idea of progress, they might want to rethink their playbook.

Modernization doesn’t mean leaving your roots behind. It means finding a way to honor them while moving forward. And right now? It feels like Saudi Arabia is trying to sprint into the future without realizing how many people they’re trampling in the process.

Let’s see how this plays out, but one thing’s for sure—this isn’t a look that anyone will want to repeat.