It is now over three years since the takeover of Newcastle United by the Saudi PIF, and NE Bylines has been regularly reviewing what life is like in that Middle Eastern kingdom and what has happened there since that takeover in October 2021. There are some who would claim that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a place where human rights are not respected and that the regime is a murderous regime, which starts illegal wars and is responsible for many human rights abuses. But is all that really true? Let’s see what has been happening and look at the hard evidence. How has Saudi Arabia been reported in recent weeks?
Parts 1-15 of this survey have covered the period from 7th October 2021 to the end of November this year. So, what has been happening regarding Saudi Arabia in December 2024?
It was reported by NDTV World on 3rd December that Saudi Arabia had executed more than 300 people in 2024, a number based on official figures, after state media said four more people had been put to death on 3rd December. “The latest executions were carried out against three people convicted of drug smuggling and another for murder, the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing the interior ministry. It brings the total number of executions for the year so far to 303, according to an AFP tally based on state media reports.”
NEOM allegations
It was reported in the Sun on 3rd December that Saudi Arabia had been hit with serious allegations regarding the NEOM Project, claiming that a significant number of migrants working in construction had disappeared. It was noted that, “emerging reports allege that as many as 100,000 migrant workers have gone missing during the construction of NEOM. New figures from ITV have also revealed that 21,000 foreign workers from India, Bangladesh and Nepal have all died since Vision 2030 was launched. Nepal’s Foreign Employment Board suggests that over 650 Nepalese worker’s deaths are still unexplained.”
Khashoggi
It was reported in the Guardian on 9th December that Jamal Khashoggi’s widow had urged Keir Starmer to raise her husband’s murder at his upcoming meeting with the Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. It was said that Starmer would arrive in Saudi Arabia that day for talks with the Saudi crown prince as part of a two-day trip to the Middle East, his first to the region as prime minister.
Hanan Elatr Khashoggi said it was “incumbent on the UK to raise the case of her husband, who was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018”. It was further noted that Khashoggi had been a Saudi journalist who was critical of the Saudi government and wrote a column for the Washington Post and that US intelligence believes Prince Mohammed directly ordered his murder, which the kingdom strenuously denies.
FIFA Assessment
Also on 9th December, Pete Patisson, writing in the Guardian noted that in the early hours of Saturday 30 November, FIFA had released a glowing evaluation of Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup, giving it the joint-highest score of any bidding nation and declaring it carried only what was described a “medium human rights risk.”
Pattison also noted that, at the same time, FIFA slipped out a long-awaited report on whether it should compensate migrant workers who suffered severe labour abuses on projects linked to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Pattison went on to say that, “despite a recommendation from its own subcommittee on human rights and social responsibility that it do so, FIFA’s answer was, in effect, a resounding no.”
The reports were said to have provoked a “backlash from human rights groups, which called the former an “astonishing whitewash” and the latter “insulting.” It was said that the uncompromising language reflected frustration within human rights organisations that FIFA had learned nothing from Qatar and a belief that the gross exploitation of cheap labour is about to be repeated.
Starmer and McGuiness goals
It was reported in the Northern Echo on Monday 9th December that a sporting campaign group based around Newcastle had heavily criticised the Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NE Combined Authority Mayor Kim McGuinness for trying to “cosy up to a human rights abusing regime” after they visited Saudi Arabia. It was said that the Newcastle United FC Fans Against Sportswashing (NUFCFAS) were accusing the PM of prioritising economic growth over human nights, while challenging the assumption that any deal with the Saudis would lead to economic growth anyway.
It was also noted that Downing Street had said that, “the economy was Sir Keir’s ‘number one priority,’ but insisted he would still be able to raise concerns about the Saudi government’s human rights record.” It was reported that as part of the visit to Saudi Arabia, the Government had signed a deal to “share expertise in culture, heritage, and tourism.” It was also said that Britain and the Saudis would work to set up an “international institute for clean hydrogen, backed by a consortium of universities, including Newcastle University.”
Northeast Mayor Kim McGuiness was reported as praising the trip to the Gulf with the Prime Minister as an opportunity the region “has never had before” and saying: “The North East has never before had an opportunity like this to stand tall on the world stage.”
Response from NUFCFAS
In response, John Hird, a spokesperson for NUFCFAS, was reported as saying: “In three years of Saudi state ownership of our club local politicians have unfortunately been falling over themselves to cosy up to the human rights abusing regime, while Newcastle’s reputation gets dragged through the mud, it’s also not been clear what the benefits are.”
“The last time a visit like this took place we were told that there was going to be £3 billion of investment and thousands of jobs with more details to follow. That was more than 6 months ago and no further news has ever been released.”
“Newcastle councillors, MPs, and the PM should take Saudi promises with a pinch of salt. Newcastle United Chairman Yasir al-Rumayyan is also Chairman of Saudi ARAMCO, the state petroleum company which is one of the world’s worst polluters, so we should be sceptical about talk of ‘clean energy’. Furthermore, the Saudi regime were the chief wreckers of any agreement on progress towards preventing climate change at the recent COP29.”
“NUFCFAS will continue to call on elected representatives to do what they committed to do pre-Saudi state takeover of NUFC, which is to keep talking about human rights and these vague promises of investment should not buy their silence.”
Women Rights activism response
Also on 9th December, a tweet appeared on X from one of the sisters of Maryam al-Otaibi. Another of the al-Otaibi sisters, Manahel, was sentenced to 11 years in prison earlier this year for wearing western clothing and promoting women’s rights
Manahel and Maryam’s sister said on X on 9th December, that “today, I was deeply shocked to know that Saudi authorities summoned my elder sister, Maryam Al-Otaibi.”
She went on to say that, “this incident immediately reminded me of what happened when Saudi authorities issued arrest warrants for both my sister Manahel and me during the global attention surrounding the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. At that time, Saudi Arabia sought to exploit the international media spotlight to escalate its repression of women’s rights activists, and now, with Maryam’s summons, the same pattern of retaliation is unfolding.”
“This incident highlights how the Saudi regime systematically uses the global attention of major sporting events as a cover to target peaceful activists and retaliate against their efforts for women’s rights. The arrest warrants for my sister and me were issued on the same day during the World Cup, and while I was able to evade detention, my sister Manahel remains imprisoned to this day.”
“The timing of Maryam’s summons is part of a broader strategy where the Saudi regime seeks to exploit these international events not just for sports but as an opportunity to further suppress dissent, especially targeting those who peacefully fight for justice and equality.”
They also raise serious questions about the credibility of international organizations that continue to grant legitimacy to authoritarian regimes that perpetuate these violations. The international community must confront this complicity and ensure that sports are not used as a tool to whitewash human rights abuses.”
Saudi hosting the 2034 Football World Cup
On 11th December, it was reported in the Mirror had the following headline: ‘Saudi Arabia 2034 World Cup: FIFA ignore human rights and sportswashing concerns with decision.’
It was reported that FIFA president Gianni Infantino was poised to announce Saudi Arabia as the hosts of the 2034 World Cup, despite numerous concerns about the Kingdom’s human rights record and sportswashing intentions. It was said that Saudi Arabia would be confirmed as hosts of the 2034 World Cup on Wednesday, crowning five years of hard work by the Kingdom and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Infantino was said to have succeeded in his campaign to usher the tournament to the Middle Eastern country. The report went on to say: “In fact, he has been so efficient that the online video congress between delegates from 211 countries on Wednesday will not contain a vote; instead, those present will simply be informed of the decisions.”
Important documents dissappearing
It was reported in Middle East Eye on 20th December that human rights groups had called on the United Nations to investigate why a video and transcript of their event at a flagship UN forum on internet policies, held in Riyadh, had been removed online.
It was noted that the workshop, co-hosted by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Alqst on Wednesday afternoon at the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in the capital of Saudi Arabia, had focused on the UN’s new cybercrime treaty and its potential impact on transnational repression.
It was said that the panel was “notable for a couple of reasons. It was the first time in nearly a decade that HRW had sent representatives to the kingdom. It also featured Saudi activist Lina al-Hathloul, one of few, if any, Saudi civil society leaders speaking at the forum held next to the Ritz-Carlton hotel where Saudi royals, officials and business people were detained and tortured in 2017.
“A moment of silence was held at the start of the event for human rights defenders across the region who had been punished for expressing themselves online, including Assad and Mohammed al-Ghamdi and Nora al-Qahtani, held in Saudi prisons on decades-long sentences over social media posts.”
Saudi Executions
It was reported by CNN on 25th December that Saudi Arabia had executed 330 people in 2024, the highest number in decades, despite de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman having previously asserted in 2022 that the death penalty had been eliminated except for murder cases under his vision for a new open kingdom.
It was noted that, “the latest execution toll, compiled from execution announcements by human rights NGO Reprieve and verified by Reuters, is a big jump from the 172 total for last year and 196 for 2022. Reprieve said it was the highest ever recorded.”
Jeed Basyouni, of NGO Reprieve was quoted as saying: “This reform is built on a house of cards that is built on record numbers of executions.”
So, there is evidence about what was happening concerning Saudi Arabia in December 2024. Are those who accuse the Saudi regime of having a bad human rights record being fair? What should we say and what should we do today and in the future, in order to respond to the human rights record of the Saudi regime?
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