After it was announced that she was going to perform, the New York-based organization Human Rights Foundation issued an open letter asking the rap superstar to pull out of the show, citing rights violations and unfair treatment of the LGBTQ+ community by the kingdom’s absolute monarchy.

Nicki said “after careful reflection I have decided to no longer move forward with my scheduled concert at Jeddah World Fest. While I want nothing more than to bring my show to fans in Saudi Arabia, after better educating myself on the issues, I believe it is important for me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community and freedom of expression.”