Football fans tuned in this summer to watch two of the sport’s major tournaments, the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup and the biennial Concacaf Gold Cup, yet few noted the powerful force operating behind the scenes: Saudi Arabia and its Public Investment Fund (PIF). As the Kingdom pours substantial financial resources into these events, accusations[…]
04
Jun
Jun
This month, President Trump announced a deal with Saudi Arabia that would provide the country with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips. The deal sees industry leader Nvidia provide Humain, a sovereign wealth fund-owned AI startup, with 18,000 of its new GB300 Blackwell chips. The massive deal makes Saudi Arabia a potential leader in AI data[…]
07
May
May
The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) 2014 Counterterrorism Law has functioned as a weapon for political repression. With its vague definitions, the law enables authorities to equate peaceful criticism with terrorism, imposing harsh sentences, including life imprisonment and the death penalty, often without credible evidence. In recent years, this repression has expanded beyond outspoken critics to[…]
09
Apr
Apr
Saudi Arabia has emerged as a central player in the global sports arena—not for athletic achievement, but for its calculated use of high-profile events to rebrand its international image. This practice, known as sportswashing, refers to the strategic deployment of sporting partnerships and events to divert attention from ongoing human rights violations and bolster a[…]
25
Feb
Feb
In 2004, Formula 1 (F1) declared its Grand Prix races in Bahrain. Headlines were made as Bahrain hosted the first race of its kind in the Middle East. It was celebrated so much to be given the title for best organized grand prix by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). The races continued throughout seasons,[…]
