Muhammad Abdu, the “Singer of the Arabs” as the renowned Saudi vocalist and composer is known throughout the Arab world, refused to return to perform during the middle of a concert Sunday following a backstage argument over pay during a break. The fiasco was the culmination of a series of organizational mishaps at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium Sports Hall in Jeddah which began when crowds at the venue gates were not permitted entry until 9.30 P.M., despite the concert's scheduled start of 10.P.M. Audience members were also not permitted to bring water into the hall and no water was available for sale, and when disappointed fans demanded refunds for their tickets, which cost between 150 and 1,300 riyals, further confrontations broke out with security guards. Some members of the press were also refused entry. After the singer and his band began their performance two hours late, they then refused to return to the stage after completing two hours and eight songs of the evening's performance and taking a break backstage where they confronted Saud Salim, the main organizer of the event, demanding payment in full in order for them to continue. Salem, however, insisted on keeping to the agreement that payment would be made after the performance. When asked why Abdu and his band arrived so late to perform, Salim merely said: “I don't know.”
