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The Dubai government has denied that R. Kelly was ever scheduled to perform in the United Arab Emirates city following a motion by Kelly’s lawyer requesting permission for the singer to travel to the Mideast capital for several concerts and a meeting with the royal family.

The disgraced singer, recently featured in the docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly,” was forced to hand over his passport in February as part of his bail conditions after he was charged with 10 counts of criminal sexual abuse against four women, three of whom were minors.

According to AP, he was never booked to perform in the country: “Authorities in Dubai have not received any request for a performance by singer R. Kelly nor are there any venues that have been booked,” Dubai’s government said in a statement. The statement also says that he “has not been invited by the Dubai royal family for a performance.”

Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images

The indicted R&B star’s lawyer, Steven Greenberg, is adamant that his client is scheduled to perform there: “Mr. Kelly has a signed contract with a legitimate promoter, and any information that was included in the motion to travel was from that contract,” Greenberg told AP. The contract also apparently requires that he receive permission to travel. “Since he does not, as of yet, have permission to travel it is understandable why no one has invested in, booked venues or publicized any shows,” says the singer’s lawyer.

“We did not say he was invited by the royal family, but the contract did provide that he would make himself available to meet with them.”

Dismissing the suggestion that the singer was using the Dubai trip to abscond from his trial, Greenberg said: “The idea that R. Kelly would ask for permission to travel in order to flee is nonsensical.”

TELL US: If R. Kelly gets a legitimate gig in a foreign country—should he be allowed to travel to perform?

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