Women demonstrate at Real Madrid rejecting a deal with Saudi Arabia
Dozens of activists and officials of Spanish and European women’s rights organizations demonstrated today in front of the Spanish club Real Madrid in Madrid’s capital to reject a deal between the club and Saudi Arabia.
Participants in the demonstration raised pictures of human rights activists detained in Saudi prisons and slogans denouncing the kingdom’s human rights record.
The demonstrators chanted phrases calling on Real Madrid’s management to reject the potential sponsorship deal with Saudi Arabia.
Sabella Gonzales, an official at the Madrid Women’s Caucus, said during the demonstration that the Real Madrid administration should reject Saudi financial inducements to reject any deal with it.
Gonzales considered that such an agreement would represent Real Madrid’s complicity in the crimes whitewashing of Saudi Arabia and its systematic violations of human rights.
The demonstration took place by the International Federation for Rights and Development (IFRD) to object to Real Madrid’s talks to agree to sponsor a Saudi government company for the club’s women’s team.
The event called for refraining from the possible agreement between Real Madrid and Saudi Arabia in light of Saudi Arabia’s poor record of women’s rights violations.
And recently, classified documents revealed that a Saudi is seeking to conclude a propaganda agreement with Real Madrid to become the main sponsor of the women’s team at Real Madrid.
In a statement, FIDH considered that such an agreement falls within the framework of sports bleaching to gain international influence and positive propaganda for Saudi Arabia at a time when women’s rights are widely violated.
And recently, classified documents revealed that Saudi Arabia is seeking to conclude a sponsorship agreement with Real Madrid to become the main sponsor of the women’s team at the Royal Club of Spain.
The Times newspaper published two separate documents explaining that the Saudi government-owned Qiddiya project targeted the potential sponsorship agreement for 150 million euros.
The newspaper stated that the documents explain the nature of the proposed partnership between Real Madrid and Qiddiya, a tourism entertainment company.
It explained that it is a massive project worth 5.7 billion pounds being built near Riyadh.
The newspaper pointed out that the project aims to become “the capital of sports and entertainment” in Saudi Arabia.
The approach taken in dealing with Real Madrid may be another attempt to use sports to gain international influence and positive publicity.
Saudi Arabia had put pressure on “to formalize the discussions to establish a strategic partnership” with Real Madrid.
According to the newspaper, the potential sponsorship agreement for ten years, amounting to 130 million pounds.
According to the newspaper, Real Madrid will agree to “the constant dedication of its ambassadors and at least four players from the first team to support Qiddiya.”
Real Madrid is looking for new sponsorship companies in light of the efforts made by the royal team’s management to alleviate its financial crisis.
