In the previous World Snooker Championships held in Sheffield last April, Barry Hearn was a participant in a BBC panel discussion. The event had been eclipsed by significant speculations hinting at the end of its tenure at the Crucible and the possibility of moving it to Saudi Arabia. This suggestion garnered major disapproval as it was seen as an assault on the long-standing customs of the game. BBC studio’s Ken Doherty passionately questioned Hearn about the significance of the Crucible’s history and nostalgia. He also questioned whether there were things money could not procure.
Without hesitation, Hearn, whose wealth was primarily built from his firm focus on profitability, responded negatively to Doherty. He also made it clear that Saudi Arabia was well-known for achieving their desires, as they wanted everything immediately.
In their aggressive encroachment into the world of sport, snooker was treated by Saudi Arabia as a vulnerable small nation. It wasn’t long ago when the game was caught in financial and popularity crises. This memory is still fresh. Consequently, the World Snooker Tour confirmed a decade-long deal with Saudi Arabia to host multiple tournaments, including ranking ones. Upon establishing this connection, a financial influx into the game came from Saudi.
Earlier in the year, the World Masters of Snooker was organised in Riyadh. The invitation-only tournament featured the top ten world-ranking players. A novel factor was a gold ball, valued at 20 points, was introduced. However, a player could only pot it if they hit a 147. The reward for successfully potting the golden ball was $500,000, with plans to increase it to $1 million for the next event.
At the recent competition, nobody managed to pot the gold ball. However, this was not the focus. The maximum score in snooker has traditionally been 147, equivalent to 180 in darts. But in Riyadh, the highest score in March was altered to 167. The game’s most revered number was altered due to the influence of financial incentives, disregarding the game’s traditions.
The Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, a newly launched tournament, recently made its first appearance, and with a prize pool that exceeds $3 million, it only ranks second to the World Championships, becoming an immediate significant event in the snooker world. This is precisely the recognition that the Saudis are pursuing.
The modus operandi of the Saudis is now widely recognised. They have attempted to establish relationships with renowned players in every sport they’ve targeted, irrespective of the price tag.
In the realm of snooker, they secured Ronnie O’Sullivan as an “ambassador”. Meanwhile, in tennis, the title went to Rafa Nadal. Moreover, they have invested heavily in enticing some of the PGA Tour’s most prominent names to participate in their competing LIV Golf circuit. Gigantic names include Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, and a plethora others, graded by fame and skills.
In the football world, they dramatically boosted their local league with players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and a plethora of additional players from premier European leagues. They appointed Lionel Messi as an “ambassador” when they failed to recruit him to play.
A contract obtained by the New York Times suggested that the Argentinian captain would earn around $25 million over three years for promotional activities, such as ten positive endorsements annually for his 470 million social media followers, as well as pictures from a yearly all-inclusive vacation to the kingdom.
Paris St Germain suspends Messi following his visit to Saudi for skipping training, dubbed “unauthorised” by the club. Messi issued an apology to his teammates and fans while stressing that he couldn’t drop out of the event. His professional obligations had taken a backseat during a diary conflict.
Saudi’s approach is one that assumes everything has a price and everyone is up for grabs. They capitalise on the inherent avarice and corruption within commercial sports to enhance Saudi’s global impression and broaden its presence in the infinitely profitable leisure industry.
Unsurprisingly, professional boxing provided a fruitful avenue for their intentions, given the sport’s established reputation for unfettered acceptance of money from all corners, devoid of any scruples.
The recent event at Wembley Stadium, where Anthony Joshua was defeated by Daniel Dubois, serves as an example. It was a spectacle attended by a record-breaking British crowd of 98,000 attendees, all under a Saudi-financed card. The stadium was illuminated in the colours of the Saudi flag and their national anthem filled the arena prior to the fight – a testament to the orchestrators of the event.
Joshua is contractually obliged to Riyadh Season – a collective term for a range of entertainment, sporting, and cultural events held in the capital city of Saudi Arabia. The final fight remains in his contract. By the middle of the week, Turki Alalshikh, chairperson for Saudi’s General Entertainment Authority and boxing enthusiast, expressed interest in a rematch between Joshua and Dubois. The respective promoters, Hearn and Frank Warren are expected to oblige.
Despite the backlash on social media and from British journalist, against the Saudi anthem playing, during a press conference, Hearn acknowledged and praised his funders stating his intention to comply.
Oliver Brown, a sportswriter for The Telegraph had his authentication revoked following his critical commentary of the event, branding it a “bold demonstration of Saudi’s superiority in sports in the core of London”. He further expressed his views by comparing London to a “Saudi Disneyland”.
The punishment for dissent within the kingdom is severe, even escalating to death penalties. During Saturday night’s event in London, they exercised their intolerance towards freedom of expression in the only way they could. Despite the controversy, Hearn boldly dismissed the political concerns surrounding it, citing limited press seating as the only issue.
Boxing could be ready for a takeover by Saudi interests due to its fragmented nature. The Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia had reportedly announced plans during the summer to sign up the top 200 male boxers globally, categorise them across 12 weight divisions and initiate a worldwide league featuring regular matches – a concept influenced by the UFC. This revolutionary approach could potentially upset the current balance of sanctioning organisations and major event organisers. Despite the promise of a shakeup, however, advancements on this plan appear to be stalled with no official confirmations released.
Simultaneously, Saudi’s influence in global sports seems to be growing. The Saudi Cup, with a massive $20 million prize, now commands the record for the world’s most lucrative horse race, with total prize money reaching over $33 million. This year, competitors arrived from 14 different countries, including Ireland.
Irish trainers have continuously participated in the five-year-old event without encountering any backlash that golfers like Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry faced when they took part in the highly paid Saudi International. Additionally, public opinion doesn’t seem to be against Leona Maguire participating in the women’s tours sponsored by Saudi Arabia.
In early 2021, Saudi reported making a hefty $2 billion proposal to merge men’s and women’s tennis tours under a single entity. When this proposal was rejected, three other tennis sponsorship agreements were quickly announced. Both men’s and women’s rankings now bear PIF’s sponsorship, and the end-of-season women’s championships will occur in Riyadh for the following three years. The prize money for this year’s event will set a new record of $15.25 million, a significant 70 per cent surge from 2023.
Before these arrangements were established, tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova voiced their strong objection to the proposal in a joint letter to the Washington Post. They highlighted their understanding and respect for diversity in cultures and religions, but opposed awarding the prestigious tournament to Riyadh due to the stark contrast between the WTA’s values and those of the potential host.
The reported increase marked a concerning escalation in executions during Salman’s regime, according to recent information from Saudi Arabia. This is a nation wherein women’s rights are significantly undermined, characterised by a legal foundation of male guardianship rendering women essentially subservient to men. Furthermore, the country’s attitude towards LGBTQ+ people has been broadly criticised, with potential death sentences acting as their heavy-handed response. International apprehension regarding the state of human rights and personal liberties within the nation has been longstanding.
Saudi Arabia’s approach encapsulates a disregard for criticism, maintaining their actions until the dissenters are overlooked. Indeed, when the Public Investment Fund procured an 80 percent stake of Newcastle United, protests from approximately 7 percent of their supporters were overlooked. During press conferences, Eddie Howe, the Newcastle manager, had to address queries regarding the team’s ownership, particularly following the execution of 81 prisoners in one weekend in March 2022.
Those questions have dwindled, despite the executions persisting. The European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights accounted for 100 executions this year till mid-July, a figure that is 42 percent higher than the previous year.
The motivations of Saudi Arabia are intricate and extend beyond the concept of “sportswashing”. The IMF forecasts a reduced demand for oil post-2040, inspiring Saudi Arabia to diversify its economy. With a population comprising predominantly of individuals below the age of 30, the nation seeks to transform itself into an attractive hub for tourism, particularly sports-related visits.
Reports indicate that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman approved the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, drawing worldwide concern. The prince’s investment in sports primarily serves to bolster the nation’s economy. In a Fox News interview, he implied that the expected one percent GDP growth driven by sports justifies what has been dubbed as “sportswashing”. He further declared that he would strive for an additional GDP growth of 1.5 percent regardless of external judgments.
The progression is relentless. By December, it will be formally acknowledged that Saudi Arabia will stage the 2034 World Cup, being the only country to bid. Prior to this, their hosting responsibilities extend to the 2027 Asian Cup in football and the 2029 Asian Winter Games. They are even building a customised venue, complete with ice and snow, amidst the desert.
One would struggle to keep pace with the sportswashing phenomenon, it’s futile even attempting. Saudi Arabia has advanced so dramatically, that it’s simply unfeasible to pose any competition.