This article was first published on IOL News on 2 November 2023.

Grammy Award winner Burna Boy has just revealed that he turned down a staggering offer of $5-million (about R96-million) to perform in Dubai for a reason many would consider ludicrous.

The singer released a video of himself jamming with his band on his verified Instagram account.

In the video, Burna Boy performs a freestyle where he reveals that he just turned down an eye-watering sum to perform in Dubai for a reason some would consider laughable.

The Nigerian star sings that he turned down a multimillion-dollar offer from Dubai solely due to the fact that he would not be allowed to smoke weed while there.

Interestingly, the UAE recently eased some of its stringent drug laws.

They relaxed penalties for travellers entering the country with products containing THC, the primary intoxicating component in cannabis.

As per the new law, published on November 28, 2021 in the UAE’s official gazette, first-time offenders caught with cannabis-infused food, drinks, or other items will not face imprisonment.

Instead, authorities will confiscate and destroy the products.

Further amendments included reducing minimum sentences for initial drug offences from two years to three months and providing rehabilitation opportunities for convicts in a separate detention facility.

Previously, foreign drug users were usually deported to their home countries after serving their sentences, but the updated law leaves this decision to the discretion of the judge.

UAE strictly prohibits the sale and trafficking of drugs, with drug use punishable by four years in jail.