Viral video of Holy Kaaba model at Riyadh fashion show turns out to be ‘fake’

A viral video of a Holy Kaaba model displaying idols and featuring models on its screens at a Riyadh fashion show has been confirmed to be doctored. The video, which sparked outrage on social media, was created by merging unrelated clips from older events.

The snippet circulating online combined footage from a 2023 wrestling match's opening ceremony, where a cube-like screen showcased visuals of the event on its sides.

The edited video falsely implies that a concert was held in front of a replica of the Holy Kaaba.

The actual event in Riyadh was a fashion show by renowned Lebanese designer Elie Saab, inspired by the traditional Arab tale Alif Laila wa Laila (One Thousand and One Nights).

The show was attended by international celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Camila Cabello, and Halle Berry.

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Saudi Disgraced Islam with This

This is the opening of Riyadh's entertainment season in Saudi Arabia this year.

They had a model of the Holy Kaaba where they displayed images of singers and dancers. pic.twitter.com/n2RXD1LSCg

— Ryan Rozbiani (@RyanRozbiani) November 16, 2024

According to Independent Urdu, Cairo-based researcher Muhammad Bin Jamaa debunked the claims and clarified the truth behind the viral video.

He noted that Jennifer Lopez wore an outfit by Elie Saab that she had previously donned at other international events. There was no special nudity or attire unique to the Riyadh event.

The entire fashion show, which lasted around two hours, was broadcast live on YouTube. It did not feature any imagery of the Kaaba, either directly or indirectly.

The clips falsely showing a Kaaba model were traced back to the 2023 boxing match event, where four cube-shaped screens displayed the match from different angles.

These visuals were manipulated using Photoshop to resemble the Holy Kaaba. Similarly, statues and idols seen in the video were artificially inserted using the same editing tools.

One image, showing a model holding a paper sword, was actually taken from a New York fashion show years ago and has no connection to Saudi Arabia.

Another fabricated element in the viral video was a metal song supposedly incorporating Quranic verses. This clip was taken from a 2014 music concert in the United States and edited with Quranic audio to mislead viewers.