Italian Ambassador meets with the President of the Saudi Human Rights Commission

In January, Carlo Baldocci, the Italian ambassador to the Kingdom, met with Hala al-Tuwaijri, the President of the Saudi Human Rights Commission (SHRC) to explore possible opportunities of cooperation. Al-Tuwaijri tweeted: “The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral dialogue and promoting awareness of human rights. We discussed a range of topics of mutual interest, shared experiences[…]

Saudi Sportwashing in Esports

The Saudi government is well known for its efforts to improve its public image abroad through the practice of sportwashing. Sportwashing refers to the concerted efforts of the Saudi royal house to improve its international reputation by leveraging the vast wealth of their sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, to host large-scale sporting events.[…]

ADHRB at #HRC57: Bahrain’s King, Crown Prince, & MOI are responsible for the culture of impunity

On 12th September 2024, ADHRB delivered an intervention at the United Nation Human Rights Council session 57 under item 2 during the General debate. ADHRB held Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince Salman, and Interior Minister Sheikh Rashed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, responsible for the growing culture of impunity. We draw the[…]

AI Regulation in Saudi Arabia: Innovation over Human Rights

With the global rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), countries have increasingly adopted regulations to restrict the use of this new technology, exemplified by the AI Act in the European Union. In contrast, Gulf governments have taken a more business-friendly approach to AI regulation, raising concerns about potential breaches of their populations’ privacy rights. Notably, Saudi[…]

Diverting attention from human rights abuses: the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia

On July 3, 2024, the Esports World Cup, the largest global event of its kind, will kick off in Saudi Arabia amid controversy in the gaming community. Saudi’s last attempt to become a hub for international esports has, once more, triggered discussions about the ethical implications of hosting major sports -and esports- events in countries[…]