The trend of dabbing may well be winding down having seen it's height last year when Paul Pogba deemed it worthy of using in a goal celebration.
But the phenomenon is after landing an unnamed Saudi Arabian player in hot water in the new year after footage emerged of the footballer, playing for the Saudi club Al Nojoom, dabbing during a match on January 3rd.
?#الوحدة_النجوم #دوري_بلس pic.twitter.com/niD2b8ncC9
— دوري بلس (@dawriplusksa) January 3, 2018
Dabbing is a hot topic in Saudi Arabia where it is linked to drug use, which is why the Saudi Arabian National Committee for Combating Drugs is against it. The president of this organisation says that the dab has a "harmful influence on youth" and that “those who promote it in public events or on social media will face consequences". In the middle eastern country dabbing is thought to suggest sniffing drugs.
However ridiculous or indeed dated the trend may be now, surely jail time is slightly excessive. Last year a similar situation occurred when Arabian singer, TV host and actor Abdallah Al Shahani, dabbed on stage. A video of him performing the dance move soon went viral, causing outrage. He was subsequently arrested by Saudi authorities. The singer apologised on social media for the dance move, writing: “I apologise to our respected government and to my audience for unintentionally and spontaneously making the dance move at Taif festival. Please accept my apology.”
Whether the authorities will give this player a pass remains to be seen, but it just goes to show you how strict the country still is over a relatively insignificant thing.
