The Saudi Pro-League’s recent acquisitions of high-profile football players, including Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, represent a significant power shift within the global football market. The league is backed by the country’s sovereign wealth fund, PIF, which has near-limitless financial resources to offer wages in excess of most European clubs. The ultimate goal is to challenge the top leagues in Europe. However, the controversy lies in Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, with severe restrictions on women’s rights and civil liberties. The obfuscation surrounding the country’s investment in football and other industries is part of the broader plan to rebrand Saudi Arabia’s image on a world stage, fitting in with European and American ideologies, and making it a popular tourist destination. The local population, increasingly young and digitally switched on, has a serious appetite for the entertainment they see from the West.
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