The Quincy Institute for American Studies revealed this week that Saudi Arabia gifted close to $270m to 144 American universities in 2019, and a total of $440m since the death of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The gruesome assassination placed pressure on institutions and governments with ties to the kingdom to rethink their association, the report reads.
‘Among them were American universities, which had accepted millions of dollars from Saudi Arabia to establish and support research centres, create fellowships, pay tuition, and pursue partnerships. Yet, despite pressure to rethink their Saudi ties, funding from the kingdom to US universities has actually increased since Khashoggi’s murder. ‘
The report quoted an analysis of Department of Education records as saying that Saudi Arabia remains one of the largest sources of foreign funding of American universities. In 2019, Saudi donors gave more than $270 million to these institutions, up from $165 million the year before.
MBS not welcome in Harvard
MBS had visited Harvard University, another major recipient of Saudi funding. However, Harvard’s student newspaper, The Crimson, pleaded with its administration: “By associating itself with the Saudi regime, Harvard – one of the best universities in the world – runs the risk of legitimising both the authoritarian nature of the regime and the brutal policies it carries out abroad.”
MBS whitewashes poor record
The New York Times also said that MBS has quietly directed tens of millions of dollars a year to American universities from M.I.T. to Northern Kentucky in a failed attempt to whitewash his poor human rights record, noting that he spend millions of dollars on sportwashing.
Saudi Crown Prince Facing Lawsuits in US
On the other hand, The Guardian revealed that the US judge John Bates will determine in the coming weeks whether a civil case brought by Cengiz and Dawn, the organization founded by Khashoggi, against Prince Mohammed and his alleged co-conspirators can proceed.
The litigation is seeking unspecified damages from the crown prince for Khashoggi’s murder.
According to the paper, the judge’s decision hinges on a complex legal question about whether the heir to the Saudi throne – widely seen as its de facto ruler – ought to be treated as a sovereign, and therefore be granted immunity from US courts, or whether his status as a king-in-waiting means he is not yet a sovereign, and should be subjected to the full force of US law.
If the Saudi heir refuses to cooperate, the court could make a summary judgment in Cengiz and Dawn’s favour, which may even lead to the seizure of the prince’s assets around the world – from a yacht to his chateau in France, the paper reads.
Most experts agree that Judge Bates’s decision would likely turn on whether the Biden administration, which has been asked to offer its own opinion on the matter, will tip the scales of justice in favour of Cengiz – further exacerbating a recent break with Saudi Arabia – or with Prince Mohammed, which one critic has said would give the crown prince “a licence to kill”.
Any move to side with the crown prince would also be condemned by human rights advocates and would be seen as a betrayal by President Joe Biden, who had promised accountability for the Khashoggi murder.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been facing growing protests wherever he lands over the killing of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 which triggered an international outcry and roiled relations with some Western nations.
