On the eve of FIFA probably awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, Keir Starmer’s grovelling invitation to the regime’s chief dictator to watch a Premier League football match with him is embarrassing and does nothing to further the cause of human rights in the Gulf state.
Why didn’t the Prime Minister mention the gruesome record of 309 executed in 2024 in Saudi Arabia, the over 21,000 migrant workers who have died constructing the NEOM vanity project, the many women facing systemic oppression and those unjustly imprisoned for voicing their support for their human rights?
Tuesday 10 December is International Human Rights Day. Why didn’t Keir Starmer mention the al-Otaibi sisters who are being persecuted by the Saudi state, ruled over by MBS? Manahel al-Otaibi, 29, was convicted of charges related to her clothing choices and expression of her views on women’s rights online. Just two days before the official announcement of Saudi Arabia hosting the 2034 FIFA
World Cup, older sister Maryam was summoned to appear before Saudi authorities. Fawzia, the sister of Manahel and Maryam who is in exile in Scotland commented: “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. It is clear that the regime is using the global focus to deflect from its oppressive actions at home
Such actions undermine the very principles that sports are meant to uphold.
They also raise serious questions about the credibility of international organisations 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.”
Giving legitimacy to the oppressor
Keir Starmer’s crass and insensitive invitation to Mohammed Bin Salman to attend a football match with him is precisely giving legitimacy to the oppressor of the brave al-Otaibi sisters.
The government briefing on the PM’s visit to Saudi Arabia also mentions “the close ties between Newcastle and Saudi Arabia”. What are these ties exactly, aside from owning Newcastle United Football Club? There is currently no statistical region in Britain that does less trade with KSA than the North East.
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.
Let’s not forget that a former council leader suggested that the dictatorship subsidise school meals for kids in Newcastle. Thankfully it did not happen as this would have been a publicity coup for the Saudi government which currently has minors on death row and it is disgraceful that a Labour leader even suggested it as it would have made the city a laughing stock – the first city in the UK to have what should be a social service paid for by a brutal human rights abusing regime.
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 eight months ago and no further news has ever been released. Newcastle councillors and MPs should take Saudi investment ‘promises’ to Keir Starmer with a pinch of salt.
Climate change and working people
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 was the chief wrecker of any agreement on progress towards preventing climate change at the recent COP29.
Keir Starmer claims to support working people, so what about the workers in Saudi Arabia? Human Rights Watch recent report on Saudi Arabia – “Die First, and I’ll Pay You Later” Saudi Arabia’s ‘Giga-Projects’ Built on Widespread Labor Abuses
This report should be read by all Newcastle councillors and MPs. The gruesome facts and testimonies of workers exploited by the regime must be called out by our political representatives if these ‘close ties’ between Newcastle and the Saudi regime do indeed exist. Councillors should also think twice about getting further into bed with such a regime.
NUFCFAS will continue to call on elected representatives on Tyneside 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.
Doing the right thing
Unlike Keir Starmer, Newcastle council leader Karen Kilgour has done the right thing and committed herself to meeting a delegation of Saudi Human Rights advocates led by the respected Saudi activist Lina al- Hathloul. We are sure that Lina and the delegation will tell Councillor Kilgour and Newcastle councillors to be very wary of Saudi state investment, which will inevitably come at a price, which will be, continue to look the other way and keep quiet about the horrendous human rights abuses committed by the owners of Newcastle United Football Club.
FIFA’s scandalous decision to gift the 2034 World Cup to the Saudi Royal dictatorship without any guarantees that human rights will be improved or that countless more workers will not die constructing the stadiums and infrastructure for the tournament will provoke outrage amongst football fans worldwide. It is therefore outrageous that a Labour PM did not use the opportunity of visiting Saudi Arabia and meeting Mohammed Bin Salman to stand up for human and workers’ rights and the beautiful game of football. A game which will be further sullied and perhaps ruined forever if the Saudi dictatorship is allowed to get away with it.
John Hird – Newcastle United Fans Against Sportswashing and Reclaim the Game – the International campaign against awarding the 2034 World Cup to the Saudi regime.
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