Saudi Arabia’s Sports Investments: Beyond Sportswashing
Saudi Arabia’s recent sports-related investments have sparked accusations of “sportswashing,” or attempting to improve its international image through sports. While it’s true that Saudi Arabia seeks to boost its reputation, sportswashing is not the most useful way to analyze the Kingdom’s recruitment of top sports talent or its creation of LIV Golf.
Understanding the changes occurring in Saudi Arabia is critical for US policymakers and American companies. Here’s a closer look at the Kingdom’s sports investments and their implications.
Sports Investments as Part of the Kingdom’s Broader Strategy
Saudi Arabia’s big financial bets in the sports world are part of its broader Vision 2030 plan to diversify the economy away from oil, create more private sector jobs for Saudi people, and ensure a sustainable future for the Kingdom. Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud (MBS) is highly motivated to achieve these ambitious goals.
Sports for All (SFA) is the Saudi government initiative responsible for driving progress on the Vision 2030 targets relating to sports. SFA’s goals include motivating people to be healthier, increasing community-wide physical activity levels, and working through the private sector to achieve overall growth in sports and physical activities.
Sports Reforms Positively Impact Regular People, Especially Women
Saudi Arabia’s investment in sports has opened up opportunities for health, fitness, and careers unimaginable a decade ago, especially for women. Saudi women can now join gyms, obtain driver’s licenses, participate in international sports competitions, and work as athletes, coaches, and personal trainers. Physical education is now allowed in schools for girls and boys, and international sports tournaments are hosted in the country.
Changing Geopolitical Reality and the Need for a New US Approach
The United States needs to recalibrate its approach to middle powers such as Saudi Arabia. Trade-offs will be the new normal for successful US strategy in the face of competition from China and middle powers banding together. Saudi Arabia’s sports investments are a useful case study for how the United States needs to alter its policy approach.
Elements of a New Way Forward
The United States should see Saudi investment in sports as part of a broader win for millions of Saudi women and girls in terms of personal freedom, health, and leadership development. Sports can bridge divides, organize collaboratively, develop people-to-people networks, and improve business and government relations.
The United States should continue funding sports diplomacy programs and sharing expertise with Saudi Arabia. It also needs to consider the self-interested motives of countries rather than viewing every policy decision as a referendum on its relationship with the United States.
Conclusion
If Americans persist in seeing Saudi sports investments primarily as “sportswashing,” they will be scoring own goals. Saudi Arabia will not end its investments in the US economy, and US-Saudi tensions will cause rifts among athletes, sponsors, and fans.
Understanding the motivations of sovereign wealth funds in the Gulf is essential for encouraging more investment in US companies and global infrastructure projects. Negotiating partnerships on sports that both sides can live with is an example of the kinds of trade-offs that the United States should accept to achieve its broader national security goals.