On Monday, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's Entertainment Authority, Ahmad Al Khatib, was dismissed from his position by a royal decree, Sabq news site reported.
According to confidential sources who spoke to the news site, the dismissal came after a Russian circus event organized by the authority sparked a public outcry in the ultra-conservative kingdom.
The event, held as part of Eid Al Fitr festivities, featured female dancers and caused anger among tweeps who deemed their outfits "revealing" and "inappropriate".
Al Khatib was previously warned over other events
Al Khatib was reportedly notified of previous entertainment events that violated the kingdom's traditions.
He was also asked to ensure that all programs organized by the authority in collaboration with international agencies came in line with the kingdom's rules.
Before his sacking, the chairman reportedly said he was unable to oversee every single one of the thousands of events held under the authority.
According to Sabq news site, he added that he had no excuses for the problems that occurred during the Russian circus event. It remains unclear who will replace Al Khatib as head of the authority.
The news broke Saudi Twitter
News of Al Khatib's firing went viral on Saudi Twitter shortly after it was first announced.
Thousands have since tweeted their opinions on the matter via the now-viral hashtag "the dismissal of the Entertainment Authority's chairman."
Some were all for the sacking
"Farewell... we saw nothing of entertainment but music and dancing"
Others launched a scathing attack on the Entertainment Authority altogether
"I wish you'd just shut down the entire Entertainment Authority because there's nothing entertaining about the events they organized. They only held events that went against our religious values and their chairman should've been dismissed a long time ago."
A few made this point
"The Entertainment Authority needs a chairman who can balance important aspects (on one hand, religion, values, traditions, and principles held by society... on the other, the transformations of our modern era). This is an incredibly difficult mission! I am all for entertainment that's balanced, classy, and most importantly, upholding of the kingdom's respectable image."
Not everyone was for the decision to fire Al Khatib though
"Yes, it's OK for you to head to Dubai for a concert but in Saudi it's haram. Did they hold this event in your house?!! Let people be."
Some were incredibly upset by it
The decision led some to lose hope of change
"Advancement continues despite close-mindedness"
"They previously celebrated the dismissal of Abdulatif Al Sheikh from his position and he came back with a better one. Today they celebrate the sacking of the Entertainment Authority's chairman and he or another person will return to head it, driving them mad. Don't think that our state's vision and goals will stop at the dismissal or hiring of a person."
The news comes at a time when the Saudi entertainment industry has been making strides
Saudi Arabia established its Entertainment Authority in 2016 to help enhance several of the country's sectors and industries.
In the few months after its launch, the kingdom's cultural and entertainment scenes transformed.
Under the authority's guidance, musical concerts were held in the kingdom after decades of being banned, a long-standing ban on cinemas was lifted, and the country held its first-ever Arab Fashion Week.
In recent months, the authority announced that the kingdom is set to build its first-ever opera house and plans to invest $64 billion in the entertainment sector within the next decade.
Officials also revealed plans to hold over 5,000 entertainment and cultural events in 2018 alone.
All decisions and moves made by the authority came as part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, an initiative focused on diversifying the country's economy.