Who had Cardi B — or “Hala B,” as she’s recently rechristened herself — thrilling fans from Saudi Arabia on their 2025 bingo card?
Over the weekend, the 33-year-old rapper touched down in Riyadh to headline MDLBEAST Soundstorm, one of the region’s biggest music festivals, and quickly went viral for embracing Saudi culture with her signature, unfiltered flair.
“Hello Saudi Arabia… Halal B has arrived,” Cardi wrote on Instagram, alongside a video of herself strutting through the city in a sleek black dress topped with a hooded, sleeved shawl.
On Saturday, Dec. 13, that same bold, fashion-forward energy carried straight onto the Soundstorm stage. Making her festival debut at the event — which first launched in 2019 — Cardi delivered a headline performance dressed in a striking hot-pink ensemble by Indian couturier Gaurav Gupta, complete with crystal-adorned pants, matching gloves, and a sweeping sculptural hooded cape, Vogue reported. Behind her, dancers in royal purple suits punctuated the spectacle with yellow feathered staffs, as Cardi noticeably softened both the choreography and explicit language in her set.
When she wasn’t commanding the stage, Cardi leaned fully into exploring Riyadh, sharing candid moments from around the city. She was spotted shopping at Solitaire Mall, taking in the capital’s luxury retail scene, and even squeezing in a gym session — dressed in a black chador — as she works to get back in shape post-baby ahead of her upcoming Am I the Drama? tour. The rapper recently welcomed her fourth child, a baby boy, her first with current partner Stefon Diggs.
Catching up with fans near the end of the whirlwind trip, Cardi reflected on the moment, even using some popular traditional greetings in Arabic, including “Assalamu alaikom” or “Peace be upon you, and “Mashallah,” meaning “what Allah has willed.”
“No lie, all seriousness, I feel very thankful and very grateful that I get to travel around the world doing what I love,” she said.
After praising the people as some of the sweetest and most respectful she’s ever encountered, she added, “I’m just very grateful to be here. I’m just very grateful in life.”
Though she had to return to the U.S. for other obligations, Cardi admitted she considered extending her stay.
“I wish I could see more of the country,” she said in a clip circulating online. “It’s just so beautiful, so amazing. Thank you Soundstorm for even having me here. I feel very, very good — I’m twinkling my toes!”
