Sportswashing or soft power? Saudi Arabia continues to snap up sports

Saudi Arabia has made a series of controversial investments in sports and entertainment in recent years. What does it stand to gain?

Saudi Arabia has made major investments in sport and entertainment in recent years, which has been labelled as an attempt to distract from human rights issues and build international power. Source: SBS News

Key Points

• Golf's PGA Tour, DP World Tour and rival Saudi-backed LIV circuit have agreed to merge.
• Saudi Arabia has previously been accused of 'sportswashing' and using golf to distract from human rights issues.
• The country's investments across sports and entertainment have also been described as efforts to gain 'soft power'.

After two years of controversy and disputes, the golf world was stunned on Tuesday when the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Saudi-backed LIV circuit announced a shock agreement to merge.

The agreement marks the latest in a series of major investments by Saudi Arabia across sports and entertainment.

Some have described the moves as 'sportswashing', while others say it is an effort to gain 'soft power' and build international influence.

So what does this all mean, and what does Saudi Arabia stand to gain?

What is LIV Golf and why is it controversial?

The LIV Golf competition debuted in 2021 and was established separately from the PGA Tour, which has historically run the world's biggest golf tournaments.

LIV Golf is funded by Saudi Arabia's wealthy sovereign fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Critics have accused it of being a vehicle of 'sportswashing' and an attempt to improve the country's reputation in the face of criticism of its human rights record.

In 2022, the PGA announced players who participated in LIV would not be eligible for PGA events.

But on Tuesday, the organisations said they will work together to enable LIV players to reapply for membership on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour following the 2023 season.

Australian golfer Cameron Smith joined the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit in 2022. Credit: Charles Laberge/AP

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, who was previously a vocal critic of LIV, described the mending of relations as a "historic day" after "two years of disruption and distraction".

"How did we go from a confrontation to now being partners? We just realised we were better off together than we were fighting or apart," he said.

What is Saudi Arabia's international reputation?

The international community has long held concerns over human rights in Saudi Arabia.

Justine Nolan, director of the Australian Human Rights Institute at the University of New South Wales, said there are "serious issues" regarding the rights of Saudi women and girls.

The country was also heavily criticised after Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey in 2018.

"We are still seeing a crackdown on dissidence, lack of freedom of speech, lack of free press ... and ongoing issues around treatment of migrant workers," Professor Nolan said.

"These issues ... have been ongoing for decades, and while there have been some steps forward and some changes - particularly around women's rights in the last five years - they are still well below international standards."

Greg Norman, CEO of LIV, has previously defended the competition and denied claims of being complicit in sportswashing.

"Every country has done horrendous things in the past … just look at America with racism, for example, it's just so embedded here, it's just ugly," he told the Financial Times last year.

How else has Saudi Arabia attempted to build influence?

Golf is not the only area where Saudi Arabia has begun to pursue international influence.

In 2021, PIF took over Premier League club Newcastle United, and hosted a Formula One Grand Prix for the first time.

In December 2022, Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr announced the signing of football star Cristiano Ronaldo.

It came after another great, Argentina's Lionel Messi, was announced as Saudi Arabia's tourism ambassador in May of that year.

Former Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema also signed a deal in June to join Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad football club on a three-year deal.

The Saudi Arabia tourism board had also been touted as a potential sponsor of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup but was ruled out in March following an outcry from opposition from the host nations, Australia and New Zealand.

In 2023, rumours swirled of PIF purchasing World Wrestling Entertainment Inc (WWE), with the country also working to establish a foothold in the entertainment industry.

In 2022, Saudi Entertainment Ventures - a subsidiary of PIF - announced a SAR50 billion (A$19.9 billion) investment towards developing 21 "entertainment destinations", which will feature attractions in partnership with international brands.

The Red Sea Film Festival has hosted Hollywood stars and major movie screenings, with eight films financed by the Red Sea Film Foundation featured at Cannes this year.

In January 2023, the Events Investment Fund was also launched to support infrastructure related to sport, tourism, entertainment and culture.

Is Saudi Arabia sportswashing, or seeking soft power?

As Saudi continues to build its presence across sports and entertainment, the country has been repeatedly accused of sportwashing and attempting to wield soft power.

Professor Nolan said Saudi Arabia's investments across sport and entertainment were clear attempts to rehabilitate its image.

"If it spent half the time that it is spending rehabilitating its image through sport and undertook some human rights reforms, that would go a long way," she said.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud is the chair of the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Source: AAP / Rungroj Youngrit / POOL/EPA

Professor Nolan said it was simultaneously an attempt to gain "soft power", a concept she describes as an indirect way of asserting power or control.

"Often when we think of power, we think of people on the global stage, and they might have a legitimacy through law or politics to speak on certain issues," she said.

"Soft power is basically asserting your role and your influence, but in a way that might be seen as 'behind the scenes' control."

Ashlee Morgan, lecturer in sports business and marketing at Edith Cowan University, said she believes the Saudi government is hoping to "manipulate" its image and reputation by investing in sports.

But she said it is "more complicated and nuanced than that", with sport representing one facet of a broader objective to gain international power and influence.

"I can see Saudi Arabia are using sports as part of a broader strategy; they're trying to become a powerful global player… and sport is part of that strategy," she said.

"(They're) trying to move away from the reliance on pumping and selling oil, and really looking at diversifying other sectors and creating a profile internationally that is a little bit more favourably, so that plays into the idea of using sport as a political tool and soft power."

She said while many countries and states participate in sportswashing and pursue sport as a form of soft power, Saudi's human rights issues "need the world's attention".

"Investing in sport doesn't change those violations."

-Additional reporting by AAP