It was the clearest definition of ‘sportswashing’ you could hope for. Buried within Foreign Office exchanges unearthed in a recent investigation by The Athletic into the Saudi takeover of Newcastle United, one line stuck out: “The takeover of Newcastle presents an opportunity to promote a different image of Saudi Arabia in the UK.”
The increased presence of nation-state ownership in sport – from the Saudi golf takeover to the acquisition of clubs such as Newcastle and Manchester City by investment funds linked closely to governments in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi – is, inevitably, money-oriented. Gulf states are attempting to diversify their economies and decrease their reliance on fossil fuels, with Saudi Arabia aiming to boost sport’s percentage of the kingdom’s GDP to 10% by 2030.
