Red flags continue to wave in the prevailing winds as negotiations progress between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) over the future of professional golf.
Anyone who has been following this story has learned about Saudi Arabia's abysmal human rights history, its history of oppressing women and LBGTQ individuals, and how Saudi Arabia is known by Washington Post reporter and Saudi dissident Jamal. I know very well what drove Mr. Khashoggi to pieces.
In addition, 15 of the 19 hijackers in the 9/11 attacks were Saudi nationals, which explains why 9/11 families protested so strongly against LIV Golf. Fellow 9/11 families also voiced their disapproval at the Senate hearing.
But thanks to a shocking report by Adam Crafton, a new development has taken place. The Athletic.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, president of PIF, which funds LIV Golf, is facing a $74 million lawsuit in Canadian court. He is said to have carried out “instructions” from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to harm, silence and ultimately destroy the family of Saudi Arabia's former intelligence chief, Dr. Saad al-Jabri.
Here are more details about Aljabri: Provided by: The Athletic report:
Aljabri holds a PhD in computer science and has been recognized by several Western intelligence officials for his work as a Saudi informant to the Five Eyes (US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) intelligence agencies. There is. Former acting CIA director Michael Morell told CBS that Aljabri was “honorable,” adding that he “undoubtedly saved American lives.” He cited the example of an attempted attack by al-Qaeda in 2010, in which a bomb was hidden in two desktop printers and was scheduled to be shipped on two flights to the United States. has definitely been lifted, Morrell said. Transfer at East Midlands Airport, UK.
Clearly, al-Jabri I've been living in exile He has been in Canada since 2017 and has saved hundreds of lives throughout his career.he also helped Build valuable counterterrorism information According to the West, washington post.
Aljabri rose to prominence in Saudi Arabia thanks to his close relationship with former Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef. Bin Nayef had the strongest anti-terrorism policy of any Middle Eastern leader and supported the United States' “war on terror.”
Bin Nayef was then removed from power in 2017, paving the way for bin Salman to take control of the kingdom. The two have since become chief rivals, which explains why bin Nayef has been held in a Saudi prison since August 2020.
This dynamic therefore helps us understand why al-Jabri fled his home country.
Still, bin Salman sought to harm former Saudi intelligence officials wherever they were in the world. According to the report and the lawsuit, Mr. Al Rumayyan cooperated in the conspiracy.
Details regarding Mr. Al Rumayyan's involvement are as follows:
[Aljabri’s family’s] Proposed lawsuit against Al Rumayan [him and others] “Direct'' involvement in a series of allegations. These include taking steps to organize an alleged campaign involving “unlawful kidnapping and detention,” “misappropriation of property,” and “expropriation” of companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars that ended up in the hands of the PIF. It will be done. The newspaper claims that these measures were taken for “political reasons” and at the will of Saudi Crown Prince MBS.
These allegations became public knowledge on Tuesday, the same day that Josh Carpenter sports business journal This was announced by PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. traveled to saudi arabia He is scheduled to meet with Mr Al Rumayan this week “to finalize an agreement”.
Talk about great timing! Or irony.
However, over time, more and more golf stakeholders have embraced LIV Golf and PIF's investment in the sport. It also means they have accepted the fact that a foreign sovereign wealth fund will infiltrate American sports leagues with its money for the first time.
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“My dream scenario is to tour the world, but the condition is that American companies must continue to be a big part of that. Saudi Arabia too. It's just basic economics. But there's a lot of untapped commerce there. Opportunities exist. Investors always want to get a return on their money,” said the former LIV Golf dissident who has since accepted the Saudi-backed circuit into the game. Rory McIlroy said.
“The current PGA Tour revenue is about $2.3 billion. So how do we increase that number to four or six? For me, it's about looking outward. They think internationally. , I need to spread my wings a little bit. I've been playing the drums for a while.”
PIF has more than $700 billion in assets and has invested more than $1 billion to launch LIV Golf. The fund also has significant investments in a number of Fortune 500 companies, including Uber and Twitter. recently acquired stocks At London's Heathrow Airport, times.
From Saudi Arabia's perspective, they know that their most important export, oil, is a depreciating asset. As such, they have felt an obligation to diversify their economies through investments in everything from sports to aviation. And these moves paid off.
No wonder bin Salman said, “Keep sportswashing.” This practice will help the Saudi economy while also improving its standing on the world stage.
please think about it. Five years ago, as a golf fan, could you imagine reading about Saudi politics?
It was certainly impossible.
But we're here to prove that Saudi Arabia's sportswash method works.
There is simply too much money in Saudi Arabia for the PGA Tour to compete with. So last June, Al Rumayyan, Monaghan and DP World Tour Commissioner Keith Perry announced a framework agreement to create a unified professional game.
But as negotiations progress towards a concrete agreement this spring, we cannot ignore the big red flags staring us in the face.
Yes, I've said before that we need to get this deal done for the future of golf. Given Tuesday's developments, I still believe this to be true. But we, the entire golf world, need to tread carefully and think critically, something the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia prohibits even its own citizens from doing.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through.Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
