A Saudi dissident weighs in on comedy controversy

The Riyadh Comedy Festival this fall attracted top talent from the West. But it was no laughing matter for critics of the Saudi regime, who argued the festival helped Saudi Arabia whitewash its notorious human rights abuses. Host Marco Werman spoke with Abdullah Alaoudh, senior director on Countering Authoritarianism at the Middle Democracy East Center in Washington, about the event.

This story originally aired on Oct. 2, 2025.