A Russian tourist named Riri expressed her happiness during her latest visit to Saudi, confirming that she “learned the truth” after she arrived in the kingdom, and that everything she ever heard about it before was a lie.
"I saw the truth... People in Russia are manipulating our minds!" the tourist said to her interviewer as she expressed her astonishment with the Kingdom’s reforms.
In the video that circulated on social media, Riri explains that she obtained the visa easily within ten minutes, received a large welcome from airport workers, and a warmer welcome in Riyadh.
She added: “I visited many places, and I’m glad that I changed my mind about the kingdom, because in my country people’s minds about Saudi Arabia are being manipulated. This country is much better than what we hear about in our country, and I am very glad that I came here and saw the truth.”
"I feel very free, thanks to Prince Muhammad bin Salman," she added. "He did an amazing job, may God protect him."
Translation: “Russian tourist: My experience in Riyadh is wonderful, the Kingdom made tourism so easy.”
The video comes after several others like it, in an attempt to represent Saudi Arabia as modernized and reformed.
The phenomenon of paid social media influencers, paid YouTubers, paid tourism, the Riyadh Season festival that emulates Western event such as concerts, fashion shows, color runs, and much more, are Mohammad’s Bin Salman’s latest project to cleanse his country’s image following massive backlash in the wake of Khashoggi’s death.
