Sports-washing in the desert

Jul. 24—RIYADH — Saudi Arabia is home to Mecca and just so happens to sit on billions of dollars of precious black gold. This blessing has helped the Saudi Arabian Government fund multi-billion dollar projects to modernize their desert nation. The capital city of Riyadh is blossoming into a bustling city that resembles places like Dubai and Doha. The Saudi government's effort to push for the future with a concept like the "Line City " is one of the concepts proposed by the Saudi crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud(MSB).

The Line City sounds dystopian but the Saudi Government promises this 106-mile structure will be able to fit 9 million people and run on 100% clean energy. This and other massive projects will rely on immigrants from countries as far away as India and Nepal for cheap labor to construct projects.

MSB is an ambitious leader and he most likely doesn't mind the sacrifice in order to achieve his ultimate goal of getting his nation away from oil dependency. America has had an estranged relationship with the Saudis that dates back to the 1950's but still remains the Saudi's top customer for their precious resource. The US also looks at Saudi Arabia as a key ally in the Middle East region and shares a common enemy with Iran. However, the relationship isn't one-sided as the US provides their Saudi partners with weapons that are being used in their fight against Yemen.

The Western media likes to point fingers at the alleged atrocities committed by the Saudi monarchy and the lack of rights women have in their society. These many alleged atrocities include the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and most recently revamped the idea of capitalism in the beloved game of Golf. MSB will continue to brush the dirt off his shoulders and get back to the multibillion-dollar rebrand at hand before considering any complaints from the Western World.

Sports-Washing is the first step to cleaning up an authoritarian image on the world stage as it has for many nations in the past. The most recent example would be the Winter Olympics in Russia in 2014, the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina, and an even earlier example would be the 1934 Olympics in Nazi Germany. The Saudi government has taken note and they have thrust themselves into the world of sports with endless cash to spend. They started by hosting boxing matches that headlined big names like Anthony Joshua and viral celebrities like Jake Paul. Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury plans on meeting MMA knockout artist Francis Ngannou in the boxing ring on October 28th in the capital city of Riyadh for yet another spectacle.

Under the name of the "Public Investment Fund(PIF)," the Saudi government started with the creation of LIV Golf and they bought the signature of PGA Tour champion Brooks Koepka for $150 million back in June 2022. This deal encouraged other golfers to leave the PGA tour and sign to LIV Golf as well.

They reportedly offered Tiger Woods $800 million and additional endorsements but he turned the offer down out of loyalty to the PGA Tour. The PGA was of course unhappy with the Saudis throwing their money around in 2022 but fast forward to June 6th, 2023 and the PGA have renewed plans of merging with LIV Golf. Rory Mcilroy is one of the biggest names on the PGA Tour and he has said he isn't interested in joining the joint league with the Saudis.

The PIF's bid for Newcastle United in the English Premier League was approved in January 2022 by the British government and they are now one of two government-owned soccer clubs in the Premier League. A group from Abu Dhabi bought Manchester City in 2008 and the club has won the Premier League title seven times since injecting the team with loads of cash.

The emergence of the Saudi Pro League took soccer fans by surprise when Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Al-Nassr in 2023's January transfer window. Six months later superstars like Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante left Europe to play with Al-Ittihad for upwards of $100 million dollars. The PFA has also taken over five clubs in the Saudi Pro League including Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad during this time to usher in a "new era of soccer."

Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi had a billion-dollar offer on the table from the Saudis to play at Al-Hilal but decided to sign with Inter Miami instead. The best-case scenario is the Saudi Pro League becomes one of the world's most competitive leagues or it has the potential to be another stop where aging superstars can cash in one last time before retiring. Huge names will bring eyes from across the planet and jersey sales will skyrocket to the benefit of Saudi Arabia's economy.

The money will always remain the main motivator but MSB knows his country's main asset has an expiration date with climate change only getting worse. The US government remains vigilant of the Saudi's political moves on the Middle Eastern peninsula and relies on the Saudis to keep the region stable. The blessings that Saudi Arabia sits on give them undeniable power and influence on the world stage. The Saudi Arabian government's image rehabilitation is in the infancy stages but expects to see the Olympic games, FIFA world cup, and maybe even the Masters being hosted in Saudi Arabia in near the future. MSB's oil money can be spent anywhere and anyone can turn a blind eye for the right price.