Cristiano Ronaldo. Naomi Campbell. Sofia Vergara.

And the latest celebrity brought to Saudi Arabia in the kingdom’s push to become a global entertainment destination: MrBeast, the most popular YouTuber on the planet.

The online sensation hit 100 billion views this month and is in Riyadh to launch Beast Land, a theme park modelled on his videos that put people through elaborate endurance challenges to win large cash prizes.

“It’s probably one of the best days of my life,” the 27-year-old, whose real name is James Donaldson, told Reuters ahead of the launch on Thursday, in one of at least nine interviews conducted as part of his Saudi PR blitz.

“One of the top requests I get is: I want to be in a MrBeast video… So now (we are) creating that in real life where you guys can come visit it and experience what it is like,” he said.

Changing times in once ultra-conservative kingdom

Over the past decade, Saudi Arabia has rapidly developed entertainment options as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 to diversify the country away from oil and transform society.

Young Saudis grew up with few avenues for fun, with cinemas and concerts effectively banned. Outsiders saw the kingdom as stuck in time. Both perceptions have shifted.

The Saudi capital is now the scene of Riyadh Season, running almost half the year with near-daily events from boxing and slap contests to house music parties and sports competitions.

Lit up in neon-blue, Beast Land combines theme park attractions like rollercoasters with Donaldson’s American Gladiator-style challenges, such as a game where the last player to slap a button when it lights up falls to cushioned doom.

Donaldson said 70% of his fans are outside the US, and Saudi Arabia was also a natural choice due to easily accessible studio space to film his latest season of videos.

“I’d say give it a try, it’s much more developed than you’d think,” he said.

The kingdom has been known to attract international talent with massive compensation: Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr is estimated to be worth more than $200 million.

MrBeast has at times stirred controversy, with Mexico in May filing suit against a firm they say worked with him after he produced a video at the nation’s ancient Maya pyramids.

• Winning Bihar, 3rd most-populous state, with nearly 130m people crucial.
• Modi’s coalition well ahead of majority mark of 122 seats in Bihar.
• Result would be boost for Modi after national vote setback in 2024.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling coalition is set to comfortably retain power in the poor and populous state of Bihar, a vote count showed on Friday, giving him a boost after a disappointing national vote last year.

Winning Bihar is crucial because it is India’s third-most-populous state with nearly 130 million people and it sends the fifth-highest number of lawmakers to Parliament. Control of the eastern state strengthens any party’s power in the Hindi heartland and often helps to shape national political narratives.

Modi’s National Democratic Alliance coalition could easily cross the majority mark of 122 seats, with data from the Election Commission of India showing it was leading in more than 170 seats. TV channel NDTV said it was ahead in 191 seats, a potential gain of 69 seats from the last election.

“Bihar’s mandate is clear!” Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party said on X. “The people have made it clear — now development is the identity. Not jungle raj, good governance is needed!”

The Bihar outcome would mark a sharp reversal for Modi, who lost his parliamentary majority in last year’s national elections and had to lean on allies to remain in power. Since then, his party has steadily regained ground, winning several key state contests.

Political analysts have said one of the key factors in the Bihar election was Modi’s September transfer of ₹75 billion ($853 million) to millions of women in the state under an employment programme.

Women voters across India have turned out in greater numbers over the past decade and political parties have competed to attract them. Previously, men easily outnumbered women at India’s polling stations.

Political analyst Amitabh Tiwari, who travelled across Bihar during the election — which was held in two phases on November 6 and 11 — said it was “just the women” who were set to give Modi a better result than what he received the last time.

According to a survey this week by Tiwari’s VoteVibe agency, Modi’s alliance secured 48.5% of the female vote, more than 10 percentage points higher than the main opposition bloc.

States including Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu are due to go to the polls next year. Of those states, the BJP is in power only in Assam.

Iran and Qatar on Thursday expressed serious concern over the ongoing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, urging regional countries to play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability.

The statement came during a phone call between Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Thani.

“The foreign ministers of Iran and Qatar, while expressing concern over tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, stressed the importance of continued regional efforts to preserve peace and stability in the area,” said a statement issued by Iran’s foreign ministry.

Bilateral relations between Islamabad and the Taliban-led administration in Kabul have deteriorated following two major terrorist attacks in Pakistan in recent days—one at Cadet College Wana in South Waziristan and another in Islamabad.

Tuesday’s suicide bombing targeted the Islamabad District Judicial Complex, killing 12 people and injuring at least 36 others, including lawyers and petitioners present at the court building.

The attack coincided with Pakistani forces clearing Cadet College Wana in South Waziristan, eliminating all Fitna al-Khawarij militants—a term used for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan—who had infiltrated the educational institution.

The statement added that Araghchi and Thani also discussed bilateral ties and regional developments, emphasizing the importance of strengthening cooperation in all areas of mutual interest.

Additionally, the two leaders exchanged views on the situation in Gaza and the recent US draft resolution submitted to the UN Security Council, highlighting the need for continued consultations to safeguard the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, particularly their right to self-determination.

Russia, Iran push for continued Pak-Afghan talks

On November 12, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi exchanged views on the latest bilateral and regional developments.

They welcomed the agreement reached between the Taliban administration in Kabul and Islamabad — mediated by Qatar and Turkiye — on a mutual ceasefire and an end to cross-border firing along the Pak-Afghan borders.

Lavrov and Araghchi called for continued dialogue between Pakistan and Afghanistan to resolve differences through political and diplomatic means, in the interests of ensuring regional stability and security.

They also discussed developments in the Middle East, particularly the Palestinian–Israeli issue and its consideration at the UN Security Council.

The two ministers reaffirmed their mutual commitment to the unconditional implementation of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Russia and Iran, which entered into force on 2 October.