Cardi B is gearing up for her Soundstorm Festival performance in Riyadh, and she wants Saudi Arabia to know she’ll be on her best behavior; at least according to her latest Instagram Live. The rapper spent part of her Dec. 10 stream humorously reassuring viewers that she plans to abide by the country’s cultural rules when she arrives this weekend.
While discussing her excitement to shop abroad, Cardi joked about her love for “everything duty free, tax free, [and] discount free,” leaning into her enthusiasm for gifts and no-tax zones. But she quickly shifted into full comedic mode, addressing Saudi Arabia directly and pretending to list all the things she claims to avoid.
“I don’t like alcohol. I don’t like nothing … I follow all the rules. I am a good woman,” she said, before continuing with a playful rundown of the substances she insists she doesn’t touch: cigarettes, weed, hookah; “none of that stuff.”
Cardi then pointed to her covered-up outfit, joking that she could add gloves and socks if needed. “You can’t even see my ankles,” she said, poking fun at herself while nodding to local modesty expectations.
Her jokes come as Saudi Arabia undergoes gradual changes to its regulations. According to Bloomberg, the country recently loosened restrictions on alcohol sales for certain non-Muslim foreign residents earning $13,300 or more per month. Tobacco rules remain in place, while cannabis remains illegal and carries severe penalties, including possible imprisonment and whippings for first offenses.
Cardi B’s Soundstorm Festival performance is scheduled for Saturday (Dec. 13), marking her return to one of the region’s biggest music stages.
