Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and chairman of the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), says he “doesn’t care” about accusations of “sportswashing”.
Allegations have been made that Saudi Arabia is investing in sports and leveraging high-profile events to enhance its global reputation.
PIF led a consortium that went on to complete a takeover of Newcastle United in 2021. Chairman of the Premier League club, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, is the governor of PIF.
The Gulf state has also invested in other sports, launching LIV golf and holding boxing events. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Formula 1 took place for the first time in 2021. From 2023, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) will hold an event in Saudi Arabia after a five-year deal was agreed for Jeddah to host the Next Gen ATP Finals.
“If sportswashing is going to increase my gross domestic product (GDP) by 1 per cent, then we’ll continue doing sportswashing,” Bin Salman told FOX News.
“I don’t care (about the term). I have one per cent growth in GDP from sport and I am aiming for another 1.5 per cent.
“Call it what you want — we are going to get that 1.5 per cent.”
In a statement to the Wall Street Journal earlier this year, the PIF denied “any suggestion that the decision-making or conduct of the board of PIF is unduly influenced by the crown prince”.
Representatives of Saudi Arabia have previously suggested that they don’t believe in sportswashing.
In an interview with CBS News, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Saud, the country’s minister of sport, said: “Not at all. I don’t agree with that, with that term. Because I think that if you go to different parts of the world then you bring people together. Everyone should come, see Saudi Arabia, see it for what it is, and then make your decision. See it for yourself. If you don’t like it, fine.”
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PIF has recently taken control of four clubs in Saudi Arabia – Al Ahli, Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Al Nassr – all of whom secured high-profile signings across the summer transfer window. Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante were among a number of high-profile players who decided to move to the Saudi Pro League.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, has faced international criticism for its human rights record and treatment of dissidents and human rights activists. LGBTQ+ rights are not recognised by the government. Human Rights Watch previously stated that the country “has spent billions of dollars hosting major entertainment, cultural, and sporting events as a deliberate strategy to deflect from the country’s image as a pervasive human rights violator”.
Newcastle’s takeover faced significant criticism from human rights group Amnesty International, which urged the Premier League to examine the human rights records for the club’s owners. They said that the takeover was an attempt by Saudi authorities to “sportswash their appalling human rights record with the glamour of top-flight football”.
The widow of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Hatice Cengiz, previously spoke out against the takeover of Newcastle.
Khashoggi, a US-based journalist and critic of Saudi Arabia’s government, was murdered in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul in October 2018.
She said in 2021: “It is so terrible to read that once again money has been more important than justice. What a shame and embarrassment for Newcastle that they are now owned by those who murdered Jamal Khashoggi.
“I hope the fans and players of Newcastle will hold their owners to account and ask them why no one knows where Jamal’s body is yet?
“Why has there been no Justice for Jamal? This is such a shame.”
Newcastle were also accused of sportswashing by Amnesty through the release of their green and white third kit last season, which resembled the colours of Saudi Arabia’s national team kit.
In September, Newcastle’s home stadium, St James’ Park, hosted two international friendlies for Saudi Arabia, one against Peru and the other against Costa Rica.
The country’s sovereign wealth fund is estimated to be worth around $778 billion (£634.7bn) according to Bloomberg.
(Photo: Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
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