Thread by @StanisElsborg

🧵🇩🇰@DanishMFA and @thetradecouncil encourages companies to participate in the 🇸🇦Saudi Arabian prestige project #NEOM. Story by investigative journalists @SandraBlenner & @FlorianElabdi from @DanWatchDK❗️I contribute with the part on sport and politics👉danwatch.dk/undersoegelse/… /1

#NEOM is a $500-billion mega-city and one of the Public Investment Fund’s most ambitious projects. NEOM is set to become “the future of sport” and “a top destination for major sporting events”. /2

The latest addition is the 2029 Asian Winter Games. Sport and the hosting of sporting mega events has a key role in the Kingdom's 'Vision 2030' and their pursuit of becoming the Middle East sports hub. It's about #NEOM /3

https://twitter.com/NEOM/status/1577287808510672896?s=20&t=2zmRwgLzNe_PhYcGqwF0rg

This must be the first time that the Olympic family has awarded an event to a city that is not really on the map yet. But what better way to promote the glittering façade of #NEOM than by hosting a major sporting event like the Asian Winter Games where millions will be watching/4

🇸🇦is activating #NEOM as a part of its sports strategy in several areas. In Dec 2021, NEOM was named as the main partner of the Spanish Super Cup, while the Red Sea Development Company, which is wholly owned by PIF, will be the main tournament sponsor./5 arabnews.com/node/1995171/s…

#NEOM is the Official Global Partner of the Asian Football Conference’s (AFC) national team and club competitions for 2021-2024 as well as Global Partner of the @theafcdotcom, one of @FIFAcom's six international confederations. 6/ neom.com/en-us/newsroom…

NEOM has also spread its engagement to motorsport with partnerships with Extreme E, a @fia-sanctioned racing series, McLaring Racing and Mercedes-Benz. 7/ mercedes-benz.com/en/art-and-cul…

Recently they have been hosting the #NEOM Beach Games 2022 that which brougt together teams from more than 25 countries to compete in five different sports./8

But behind the glittering facade lies another story. #NEOM might be billed as “humanity’s next chapter” by the regime but @msrmichaelson @guardian has reported that “beneath the glitzy veneer lies a story of threats, forced eviction and bloodshed.” 9/ theguardian.com/global-develop…

In October 2022 it was also reported that Saudi Arabia’s Specialised Criminal Court sentenced to death three members of the Huwaitat tribe for opposing the eviction of their tribe for the NEOM project. /10 alqst.org/en/post/death-…

"Saudi authorities in 2021 carried out arbitrary arrests, trials, and convictions of peaceful dissidents ... human rights defenders and activists continued to serve long prison sentences for criticizing authorities..." @hrw /11 hrw.org/world-report/2…

"The crackdown continued on the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly ... Women human rights defenders were subjected to judicially imposed travel bans following conditional release from prison..." @amnesty /12 amnesty.org/en/location/mi…

Despite the stories above, "the Danish Embassy in Riyadh encourages Danish companies to submit solutions for Neom and the Asian Winter Games," @DanWatchDK reports. /13 danwatch.dk/undersoegelse/…

This happens at a time where Denmark has "withdrawn a similar call to Danish companies in connection with the World Cup finals in Qatar" writes @DanWatchDK. Not least because of the "worrying working conditions" for migrant workers. /14

"Just like Qatar - which has been in the spotlight in recent weeks - Saudi Arabia is a country where systematic violations of workers' rights take place", says director of the Danish Institute for Human Rights @menneskeret, @LouiseHolck /15

"Therefore, there is also something "hypocritical" and "contradictory" about the fact that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs now wants Danish companies to contribute to #Neom," says @DahlRendtorff, professor of philosophy of management and business ethics. /16

Danwatch has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs why they recommend Danish companies to participate in constructions. They say that "the project's ambitions to be 100% green and sustainable are relevant for 🇩🇰companies that want information about new market opportunities". /17

Read the full story from @DanWatchDK here. Google translate gets you far. /18 danwatch.dk/undersoegelse/…

Here is an overview - not complete though - of #NEOM's sports activities👇 For Saudi Arabia, sport is not just sportswashing and a practice of image laundering. It is about much more: power in international relations. /19

Here is my first article out of two on Saudi Arabia and their investments in sport. /20 playthegame.org/news/the-saudi…

Here is a thread I did on another Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company #Aramco and sport. /21

https://twitter.com/StanisElsborg/status/1581214690772135936?s=20&t=2zmRwgLzNe_PhYcGqwF0rg

Here is a thread on Saudi Arabia's next target in sport: the burgeoning #esports /22

https://twitter.com/StanisElsborg/status/1570416897816141829?s=20&t=L7qtHNjExQ1kxN1-lXIhlQ