Saudi Arabia’s Rebrand – Is the West’s acceptance of the oil state a sign of failing morality?

The new diplomatic power on the block, Saudi Arabia’s recent actions showcase a masterclass in marketing, elevating the state’s image from a corrupt police state to one of a progressive political negotiator, spearheaded by its leader Mohammed Bin Salman. In recent months the state had hosted talks on the conflict in Ukraine, sealed trade deals with states such as the UK and US, and bid to take on some of the world’s largest sports events – but with such as shady track record, why has the West turned a blind eye?

Source - Jacob Padilla

I think Saudi Arabia’s rebrand covers three distinct levels of power, those being diplomatic, economic and cultural, with this trio of selling points proving too tempting for the West to pass up on, despite calls from human rights activists to assess freedom within the state before endorsing the country.

Emerging as a ‘major global diplomatic player’ Riyadh has played a key role in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, hosting talks with the two nations, both delegated by the United States in March. It seems Saudi Arabia holds the unique position of being attractive to both Russia and the West, providing neutral ground for peacekeeping talks, something that Europe cannot effectively provide. The act of hosting such events has ‘implicit political values’ states Luigi Narbone, professor at Luis Guido Carli University, ‘it’s clear that Saudi Arabia is looking for a definitive and lasting international recognition’. Appealing to both the West and major powers like Russia and China makes Saudi Arabia vital in maintaining political communications, something increasingly valuable during such an unstable period. Saudi cooperation with the West is likely on the increase, with the state co-sponsoring talks regarding Palestinian sovereignty with France in New York this month.

In terms of economic standing, Saudi Arabia is oil-rich, representing the world’s second greatest oil producer and largest Gulf state by both size and population. Signing arms deals with both the UK and USA in recent months, it seems the state is becoming the world’s hottest new investment, with countries lining up to sign trade deals in the billions. With the recent formalisation of 57 economic agreements with China, worth $3.7 billion, it is clear Riyadh is not discriminatory with its trade policies, aiming to cast its net as wide as possible, despite political or cultural differences.

The state is also engaged in attracting outside investment, advertising it’s new Vision 2030 project, a blueprint of infrastructure projects and ideology designed to turn Saudi Arabia into a global economic powerhouse. Plans include construction of ‘The Line’, a car-free ‘smart city’ stretching 170km long through the desert. Although the city appears unlikely to be completed, the sheer ambition of the project shows how far Saudi Arabia is likely to go to secure recognition.

Perhaps the most interesting facet of Saudi Arabia’s rebrand is its cultural endeavours, attempting to assimilate the state into the global zeitgeist. With the foundation of the Saudi Pro League, a football tournament attracting some of the world’s most recognisable players, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, and recently joining as a host city in Formula One, sport appears as one of the key vehicles Mohammed Bin Salman is using to portray the state as progressive. Set to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup as well as the 2030 World Expo, Saudi Arabia’s rebrand is reliant on global cultural assimilation to recover its controversial reputation.

It’s this controversial reputation that makes the West’s acceptance of MBS’s new Saudi Arabia so interesting. Amnesty International asserts the state continues to violate human rights in a variety of ways, with high rates of executions, unfair legal loopholes, the poor treatment of migrant workers and no LGBTQI+ rights. Critics of the state's harsh regime have faced significant consequences, from travel bans to targeted assassinations, such as the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Women continue to face significant barriers, and although recent moves (such as permitting women to drive) have shown some progress, the state continues to exclude women from certain positions and events. New projects by the state will likely be built from the oppression of these vulnerable groups, taking advantage of migrant workers and using progress in women’s rights to assert an illusion of progress.

Despite calls from human rights groups and Saudi citizens themselves, the West continues to endorse the state, a move I find particularly egregious. The advantageous diplomatic position held by Saudi Arabia cannot be understated, although I believe cooperation is a sign of increasing Western ambivalence to dubious state actions and human rights violations. It seems the attraction of fresh oil money, huge trade deals and ambitious plans for investment blind world leaders to calling out the state's shady relationship to human rights. Diplomatically it is vital to keep Saudi Arabia on side, although this friendship should come with a duty to call out its actions. Saudi Arabia cannot have the global recognition it craves without support from powers such as Europe and the United States, allowing these Western nations to place pressure on MBS to impose reforms on the autocratic state. There should be no justification for silence on such issues, a silence that right now asserts the West as indifferent to the fight for freedom and equality. Diplomatic and economic goals must have some alignment with the concept of moral good, something I believe they fail to achieve at this time.

It seems the West’s fears of Russian and Chinese dominance, exemplified by their close ties to Saudi Arabia outweigh a sense of humanitarian duty that should come with all diplomatic relationships. Fighting corruption and autocracy should occur through both negotiation and action on the ground to prevent human rights abuses, as freedom comes from the bottom as much as it can be allowed from the top. The West must do better to uphold ethical standards – something it has the unbridled power to do.