Human rights groups and advocates have accused Saudi Arabia of heavily investing in sports and hosting major events as a way to divert attention from human rights abuse.
Previously, representatives of the Gulf nation rejected the concept of sportswashing. When asked about the accusations by, the nation's minister of sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Saud said he did not agree with the idea that nations would cover up bad acts with sports.
A mural depicting Roberto Mancini, Mohammed bin Salman and Cristiano Ronaldo painted by aleXsandro Palombo outside the San Siro Stadium before the UEFA Champions League match between AC Milan and Newcastle United FC at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on Tuesday in Milan."I don't agree with that, with that term," said bin Turki Al Saud."I think that if you go to different parts of the world then you bring people together.
But bin Salman's interview this week revealed that he is unbothered by perceptions surrounding Saudi Arabia's sports investment. He told Fox News proudly that sports now account for 1.5% of Saudi Arabia's GDP. "For us in Saudi Arabia, we look to our needs, to our people's needs and to our economy's needs. If that changes perception positively, great," said bin Salman.
"Not caring about the sportswashing label is one thing, but Mohammed bin Salman also doesn’t seem to care about the peaceful activists languishing behind bars in Saudi Arabia, the 196 people executed in the country last year, or the personal pain of the family of Jamal Khashoggi who are still desperately hoping to see justice done in his case," said Felix Jakens, Amnesty International UK’s Head of Priority Campaigns and Individuals at Risk.
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