I no longer have any doubts about the motives behind the comments and criticisms directed at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, given the huge attraction of football celebrities to join Saudi clubs. It’s clear that these criticisms stem from nothing but envy and resentment towards the ability of these clubs to steal the spotlight and enter the competitive arena that was once dominated by European clubs for decades.
This issue isn’t just about championships and sports competition. Sports itself has become a massive economy and industry, with significant connections to other sectors such as media and marketing.
We’re talking about numbers, statistics, and data where the intense participation and engagement in these competitions raise concerns for those who have been in control of this “cake” for quite some time.
In numerous opinion articles in Western media, there’s a lot of talk about a so-called sportswashing that Saudi Arabia is supposedly involved in. However, this opinion is merely the personal belief of the authors and doesn’t align with reality. The progress in Saudi Arabia is moving forward swiftly across various developmental sectors, not just limited to sports or attracting football celebrities. The attraction of these celebrities is not an isolated goal; it’s all guided by data and feasibility studies. Nonetheless, we should keep in mind that the considerations of profit and loss here are not solely based on numbers and financial aspects. There’s more to it than meets the eye.
There are comprehensive and integrated strategic benefits that sometimes can’t be measured solely in monetary terms. These non-monetary aspects must be taken into account when evaluating the qualitative leap in development that Saudi Arabia is currently experiencing, with sports and football, in particular, being just one of the diverse expressions of this progress.
I truly admire how the officials and authorities in Saudi Arabia aren’t paying much attention to the noise from Western mainstream media. Instead, they are fully committed to managing the Saudi Arabia 2030 vision, along with all its primary and secondary objectives. The achievement and success of this vision will be the most meaningful response to any doubts about the motivations behind this ambitious development on an unprecedented scale.
Recently, The Guardian published an article titled “Is anyone convinced by Saudi sportswashing?” In this piece, the writer criticized big-name international players for receiving substantial sums in the Saudi league, even though they were earning the same figures in their previous clubs before moving to Saudi Arabia. The writer then questions Saudi Arabia’s ability to turn its clubs into “global brands” and create enthusiasm for the Saudi league worldwide, responding with, “They must be joking.” This reaction, however, lacks logical or objective reasoning; instead, it stems from a preconceived attitude fueled by animus, envy, and cynicism.
The writer failed to back up their viewpoint with a comparison of different experiences, relevant statistics, or any supporting evidence. Instead, their argument seems to be based solely on a predetermined assumption, rejecting what’s happening without valid reasons.
Football and other sports have no inherent connection to politics or controversial matters. The West itself was the one advocating for this very idea and encouraging its adoption worldwide. However, we now witness a shift in the West’s stance, as politics is being injected into sports, and they talk about alleged reputation laundering in Saudi Arabia.
In truth, all the generous spending to achieve a simple goal related to reputation or anything else was unnecessary. I believe major countries are well aware of this fact and have a deeper understanding of their actions and involvements in various issues and regions worldwide. They attempt to erase any traces of their actions through orchestrated media and propaganda campaigns.
Undoubtedly, the most crucial question is not among the inquiries raised in The Guardian’s article. Instead, it’s about when the West will finally recognize that the Saudi Arabia is truly undergoing a genuine transformation. What they see and read about is the reality unfolding on Saudi Arabian soil, not some reputation laundering operation. There are well-thought-out strategies in place, massive smart cities being constructed, and substantial funding being invested. The country has executive plans in arts, culture, education, industry, economy, investment, and sports.
The real battle for Saudi Arabia lies not in changing its image in the West but rather in unraveling or altering the Western mindset to accept the actual changes happening in an Arab, Islamic, Middle Eastern country.
There are still Western circles that view countries in this region as mere passive satellites and doubt the capability of any nation to lead progress and elevate itself to meet the fierce competition of the 21st century.
I do believe that we should all patiently await the results of Saudi Arabia’s developmental movement and avoid making hasty judgments based on misleading clichés. What’s unfolding in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a real and substantial transformation with its own foundations and principles. Everyone must recognize that the Western developmental experience is not the only valid one; each nation has its unique experiences and perspectives.
Gripping onto labels of sportswashing keeps the West from seeing the bigger picture and understanding the truth around it.
