
Since October 2021, when Newcastle were bought out by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), the Middle Eastern country's financial contribution to worldwide sporting projects has exploded.
PIF's acquisition of the Premier League club was met with criticism by English football's media apparatus, accused of attempting to 'sportswash' the Kingdom's human rights record, which included the killing of Saudi-critical journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the country's Istanbul embassy back in 2018.