By Liam Reilly, CNN(CNN) — A comedy festival in Saudi Arabia featuring high-profile American performers is drawing intense criticism from human rights advocates who say the star-studded event helps gloss over the kingdom’s ongoing human rights abuses. The Riyadh Comedy Festival, which kicked off on September 26, has styled itself as “the world’s largest comedy festival,” with sets from more than 50 star comedians, including Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr and Pete Davidson. Saudi soft power pushIn recent years, the Saudi government has sought to rehabilitate its global image through its state-owned sovereign wealth fund, using cultural initiatives such as the Riyadh Comedy Festival as tools of soft power. Despite those efforts, human rights advocates continue to sound the alarm about Saudi Arabia. Indeed, on the anniversary of Khashoggi’s killing, the Riyadh festival stands in stark contrast with the state of speech in the country.