“It means a great deal to those who are oppressed to know that they are not alone. Never let anyone tell you that what you are doing is insignificant” (Desmond Tutu, South African civil rights activist)
It is now over four years since the takeover of Newcastle United by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), and since then NE Bylines has been regularly reviewing what life is like in that Middle Eastern kingdom and what has happened there since the takeover in October 2021. Parts I-30 of this survey have covered the period from 7 October 2021 to the end of February this year. So, what has been happening regarding Saudi Arabia in March 2026?
There are some who would claim that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a place where human rights are not respected and further claim that the regime is a murderous one which starts illegal wars and is responsible for many human rights abuses. But is all that really true? Let’s look at the hard evidence. How has Saudi Arabia been reported in recent weeks?
ALQST and UN among groups to find ongoing human rights abuses
At the end of February, ALQST launched a new campaign intended to highlight the ‘contrast between curated image and human rights reality on the ground in Saudi Arabia’. On 9 March, ALQST published a report detailing the plight of women in Saudi Arabia who are facing the death penalty. It was noted that these women face the problem of being made to appear to be invisible and also face structural discrimination.
It was reported on 17 March that the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions had described the execution of Egyptian nationals in Saudi Arabia on drug charges as ‘inexcusable’. The Saudi regime was urged to pay reparations and change its laws to avoid similar executions in the future, after incidents where the executed men had been detained without a legal basis and denied the right to a fair trial.
After finding that Saudi Arabia had violated Article Three of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the working group stated that it ‘considers that their death sentences are indefensible and the execution thereof inexcusable’. When asked for a comment, the Saudi media office did not respond.
On 18 March an article from the charity Action on Armed Violence was published, which examined the role of Britain in the military of Saudi Arabia and the various relationships between British manufacturers and the Saudi military. The article noted that ‘these relationships, justified in terms of strategic stability and alliance commitments, have at times intersected with credible allegations of human-rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law’.
Newcastle United fans group holds online meeting exposing myth of Saudi women’s freedoms
On 19 March, Newcastle United Fans Against Sports Washing held an online meeting with the key speaker Dr Maryam Aldossari, Board member at ALQST and Senior Lecturer in HRM and Organisation Studies.
In the meeting, the myth of Saudi women having freer lives in Saudi Arabia was contrasted sharply with the reality in which they are legally and socially treated by the regime as second-class citizens. This includes the reality that the male guardianship system for women is very much in place, with women facing prison for the crime of ‘disobedience’. The government also runs ‘shelters’ from family abuse, but they are effectively prisons, and women ‘sheltering’ there must wait for male guardians to collect them.
Shocking statistics on executions and prison sentences
Human Rights Watch have published their report on Saudi Arabia for 2025, which highlights that Saudi Arabia carried out a huge number of executions during the year: 322 in all. It is also noted that many of the executions took place following unfair trials.
The report also states that ‘Saudi authorities released dozens of people serving long prison terms but continued to imprison and arbitrarily detain many more on the basis of freedom of expression, assembly, association, and belief. Migrant workers continued to face widespread labour abuses, including wage theft and dying in gruesome yet avoidable workplace-related accidents. Authorities failed to effectively address these issues as they prepare for the 2034 FIFA Men’s World Cup.’
The BBC attacked for propagandising Newcastle United’s owners
It was reported on 30 March that the BBC, while taking money from the regime in Riyadh, had been accused of making what were described as ‘glossy propaganda films’ for PIF which falsely represent how much the kingdom is really reforming and improving its human rights record.
It was noted that ‘BBC Storyworks, the corporation’s commercial arm, has entered into a partnership with PIF. The broadcaster has made a series of films and written articles lauding the country’s supposedly progressive attitude to women and eco-friendly credentials. These are hosted on a mini site that carried BBC branding.’
What, if anything, will we as individuals do?
So, there is evidence about what was happening concerning Saudi Arabia in March 2026. 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?
Perhaps we ought to remember the words of Martin Luther King Jr., who visited Newcastle on 13 November 1967 to receive an honorary degree at Newcastle University. King once said that ‘the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy’. Shouldn’t we all follow King’s wise words with regards to the brutality of the Saudi regime?
