Here's how Saudi Arabia's biggest music festival to date played out

The month-long Jeddah Season festival officially came to an end on July 18 with a massive grand finale ... and it was all about the pop.

Titled "Jeddah World Fest," the one-night-only music festival saw some of the biggest names in the music industry take the stage in Saudi Arabia as thousands of people tuned in to the beat. 

Liam Payne, former One Direction member, DJ Steve Aoki, Chris Brown, Janet Jackson, Tyga, Future, and 50 Cent made it out to the kingdom ... and boy was the crowd excited. This all came to be after Nicki Minaj - who was meant to headline the festival - canceled just a few days before she was set to appear on stage. The festival confirmed the final lineup just hours before they took the stage (Payne and Aoki were already confirmed). 

Chris Brown, Tyga, and 50 Cent did not hide their love for the kingdom. It seems like they were treated like real royalty during their stay - not to forget the massive energy present among crowds during their performances. 

"When I say God is good, you say all the time. I had a ball at Jeddah fest, kingdom of Saudi Arabia," 50 Cent wrote in an Instagram post.

The American rapper also said that he's "been around the world a few times there's no place [sic] JEDDAH."

Though he did not address Saudi Arabia directly, the fact that the artist posted six Instagram posts (all taken in Saudi Arabia) proves just how excited he really was to be there. 

Jeddah World Fest - part of Jeddah Season - is Saudi Arabia's biggest music festival to date, though it is not the only one to ever take place. The Gulf nation has been trying to lure its residents into spending more money locally, even simplifying e-visas - which can be cleared in three minutes - for foreigners attending events. That was the case for Jeddah Season - which began on June 8 and is scheduled to end on July 18. All attendees from abroad were granted a visa online upon purchasing an event ticket. 

In 2017, the kingdom announced a budget allocation for the sector worth $2.67 billion under its Vision 2030 plan. Just a year later, a three-day music festival took place with a mixed-gender crowd dancing to songs by David Guetta, Enrique Iglesias, Black Eyed Peas, and Jason Derulo.

Since Vision 2030 was initiated in 2016, the kingdom has opened its doors wide to a range of new cultural activities. Public concerts, international conferences, cinemas, and other entertainment options have come to the kingdom, with young Saudis expressing enthusiasm for the changes. The launch of Jeddah Season this summer was another. The month-long event-packed festival aims at boosting people's idea of tourism in Saudi Arabia, which was practically non-existent 10 years ago. 

International arrivals to Saudi Arabia are expected to increase by 5.6 percent per year, reaching 23.3 million by 2023. The biggest contributor to the sector is, and will continue to be over the next decade, religious tourism. By 2030, Saudi Arabia is expected to host 30 million pilgrims. Previously, the numbers were at 19 million pilgrims, from both Hajj and Umrah, in 2017.