Renowned Saudi singer Mohammed Abdo said he would compensate his fans for his Aug. 2 concert in Jeddah that was prematurely ended following claims by musicians that the promoter did not pay them the amount promised.
Subsequently, Abdo has promised to return to Jeddah for a performance on the fifth day of Eid Al-Fitr for a nominal ticket price. A local newspaper reported that this “nominal” price would not exceed SR400!
What I had expected from the singer was an opportunity to redeem the tickets the fans bought for the prematurely interrupted performance to attend the planned Eid concert. That would have been real compensation, but that is not the case. In this case fans will have to buy new tickets as if they are attending another concert. How can it be compensation if those that are supposedly being compensated pay the compensation? This situation reminds me of a film screening I attended some years ago in London. During the show, an audience member suffered a heart attack. The film, which was nearly over, was stopped as paramedics swooped in to save the man. The audience was asked to clear the hall, but as we were leaving there were organizers at the gate not only providing a refund of the entry fee but also giving out free-entry tickets to future film screenings at the venue. Not only that, but they apologized for the inconvenience. They didn’t wait for us to express our disappointment or to demand our money back; they took the initiative knowing well the rights of the audience and their duty toward them.
In the case of the canceled Abdo concert, the only care organizers gave the fans was showing them the doors to the exit so they could turn off the lights.
