European Parl. members urge Real Madrid to reject Saudi sponsorship of female soccer team

Nearly a dozen members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have called on Real Madrid to reject a Saudi-owned project that would allow the sponsorship of the women's team of the Spanish professional football club, citing the rights abuses of female activists in the ultra-conservative Arab kingdom.

In a petition signed on Tuesday, the 11 MEPs urged the cancellation of the so-called Qiddiya project, a deal worth €150 million ($175.7 million) struck between Saudi Arabia and Real Madrid that allows Riyadh to sponsor the club's female soccer team.

The lawmakers said in their petition that by signing the controversial deal, Real Madrid would simply participate in a publicity stunt in favor of a regime that oppresses Saudi women.

"Women can do a lot by standing together and the women of the Real Madrid Football Club should have their own say about the oppression of Saudi women," the European Parliament members added.

The lawmakers also called on the Real Madrid club to make sure that parties that offered sponsorship respect human rights, especially women's rights.

The petition also called for rejecting the Saudi sponsorship of the women's team at Real Madrid until all women rights activists are released in Saudi Arabia. It also urged the national governments of the EU and the European Parliament to pressure the Saudi regime to release all female activists and remove all bans and restrictions placed on them.

A new report by an international human rights organization recently revealed that Saudi Arabia under de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has spent huge sums of money to sportswash its terrible human rights record.

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A new report by an international human rights organization has revealed that Saudi officials have spent $1.5 billion to sportswash its poor human rights record.

The report by Grant Liberty, which is expected to be fully published later this week, said Saudi Arabia has gone after every major global sporting event, from chess championships to golf, tennis, horse-racing, and wrestling, and spent at least $1.5 billion to bolster its image.

The ultra-conservative regime of Saudi Arabia is notorious for a widespread crackdown on opposition figures and activists both at home and abroad.

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Riyadh has frequently been criticized by the United Nations and international rights groups for violating the rights of people, particularly those of women and activists, and the violent suppression of political dissidents and pro-democracy campaigners.

Saudi authorities have arrested dozens of activists, bloggers, intellectuals, and others perceived as political opponents ever since bin Salman became the kingdom's de facto leader in 2017.

Womens' rights activists remain in Saudi detention for having advocated such simple rights for women as the right to drive.

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