Rod Stewart rejects Saudi Arabia concert opportunity over their human rights abuses

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Rod Stewart turned down a recent concert opportunity in Saudi Arabia, which has a history of human rights abuses, over his concern for its citizens who have "extremely limited choices," he said in a statement on Instagram. 

"I’m grateful I have the choice whether or not to perform in Saudi Arabia. So many citizens there have extremely limited choices – women, the LGBTQ+ community, the press," Stewart said in a statement posted to Instagram. 

"I’d like my choice not to go… to shine a light on the injustices there and ignite positive change," he said. 

The singer turned down a similar offer to perform in Qatar in 2022 and said it was "not right to go," just as the world was preparing for the World Cup. 

Rod Stewart performs at Footprint Center on August 04, 2023, in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by John Medina/Getty Images) ( Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by John Medina/Getty Images))

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"I was actually offered a lot of money, over $1 million, to play there 15 months ago. I turned it down," he said in 2022. "It’s not right to go. And the Iranians should be out too for supplying arms."

An anonymous source close to Stewart told The Mirror that Stewart used his "moral compass" to make the decision.

"Rod was determined to do the right thing and couldn’t accept the offer, no matter how much money was on the table. Some things are more important," the source said, according to The Mirror.

Stewart announced in June that he was moving on from the rock-and-roll music genre during an interview with "BBC Breakfast."

Rod Stewart performs at Spark Arena on April 09, 2023, in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Dave Simpson/WireImage) (Getty Images)

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"I'm not retiring, but I want to move on," Stewart noted. "I had great success with The Great American Songbook… and I’ve just done a swing album with Jools Holland, which is going to come out next year, so I want to go in that direction."

"I just want to leave all the rock 'n' roll stuff behind, for a while, maybe," he said. "Everything has to come to an end sooner or later."

Stewart, however, clarified later on that he had no plans to ditch rock-and-roll completely and added that he would "never retire."

Rod Stewart poses with his daughter Kimberly, wife Penny and ex-wife Alana. (J. Vespa/WireImage)

"I'd like to clear up any confusion that I may have caused with my dear fans and the media," Stewart, 78, wrote in a post on Instagram in June.

"I shall never retire! I was put on this earth to be a singer and will keep doing so for as long as the good Lord lets me," he continued. 

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