“The Sultan of #Oman Haitham bin Tarik and #SaudiaArabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman watched #Italy beat #England in the #Euro2020 final on Sunday,” Arab News tweeted to its 450,000 followers on the morning after the game.
The Saudi-based news organisation — “the Middle East’s leading English daily” — could never put it like this but the subtext was clear: “Look how normal we are! Just a couple of chaps on the sofa, with nibbles, watching the big match, on my big TV, in my big palace.”
As normal as it can be.
Zoom in and you’ll see the familiar logo in top right corner of the TV. It’s the same logo that over 64 million North and Middle East football fans saw on their TVs when they watched the match. It is the logo for beIN Sports, a Qatar-based broadcaster. This company owns exclusive rights to the most high-quality sports content in this region.
Normal, as we have said, isn’t it?
After a 15-month glimpse into his world, Mohammed bin Salman (or MBS) wants to purchase beIN or at least some of it. This is because it is the way most people in his country and many others watch the best sport. It’s also possible to afford it.
Then, business will continue as usual.
Erm, hold on… this is a bit awkward. We’re sure this is just a terrible mix-up (perhaps the TV was broken?) You appear to have violated the law. Your law, your royal highness.
Because beIN Sports, which had been banned in Saudi Arabia since June 2017, was still prohibited in Saudi Arabia in July 2021. MBS joined forces with his counterparts from Egypt, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates in order to establish a diplomatic and economically restrictive blockade against Qatar.
