Saudi Arabia is becoming a sporting superpower after the de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (commonly known as “MBS”) has spent billions of dollars on high-profile international sporting events in a bid to bolster its international reputation.
This reflects the momentous scale of Saudi Arabia’s investments in what they term “sportswashing,” the practice of investing or hosting sporting events in a bid to obscure the Kingdom’s poor human rights record, and tout itself as a new leading global venue for tourism and events.
Saudi Arabia’s sporting ventures in recent years have included the deal with the Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr on a two-year contract. According to reports, Ronaldo will receive £172.9 million-a-year through 2025 as part of the deal.
However, this hugely expensive outlay has further damaged the Kingdom's reputation and image.
Along the same line, MBS is reportedly offering Lionel Messi up to $400 million a year to join a Saudi club.
Sportswashing is a term used to describe corrupt or authoritarian regimes who use sport and sports events to whitewash their image internationally. Saudi Arabia has long been accused of using sport to whitewash its poor human rights record at home and abroad.
Earlier, Richard Edelman, the CEO of the $1bn public relations firm Edelman, signed $9.6m in deals with the Saudi government over the past four years to sanitize the kingdom’s image.
The work, which was directed at American audiences and was projected to net Edelman more than $5.6m (£4.6m) in fees, included sending regular press releases that celebrated topics such as “mainstreaming women in business” and “doubling down efforts to empower women and youth”.
Edelman’s foreign agent filings suggest that by the time its work is completed, the firm will have earned more than $3m from the company developing Neom.
On 31 May 2022, only days before Edelman published his blogpost warning of the growing divide between democracy and autocracy, he signed a $787,500 (£652,609) contract to provide the Saudi ministry of culture with “PR and communications services”.
Politico has reported that Edelman proposed a multitude of dubious ways to help Saudi Arabia repair its tarnished image, including enlisting A-list celebrities and partnering with entertainment brands.
In an article published last week, Politico said Edelman's ideas included having Trevor Noah host The Daily Show from the Kingdom and partnering with Coachella, MTV, and celebrities.
Politico’s reporting was based on a 109-slide proposal Edelman filed with the Department of Justice for a five-year “Search Beyond” campaign. The Saudis are paying Edelman about $787,000 a year though the work could be far more lucrative should Edelman execute a full-blown campaign.
The pitch is part of Saudi Arabia’s effort to position itself as a modern destination, ridding itself of the “pariah” status it garnered with the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which President Biden said he discussed with Saudi leaders during a visit last week.
