First Saudi ladies golf title draws ‘sportswashing’ charges
KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY, Saudi Arabia: Denmark’s Emily Pedersen won the first ever women’s golf tournament in Saudi Arabia in a tense playoff, but the event designed to soften the kingdom’s austere image has drawn charges of being a “sportswashing” exercise.
With a birdie on the extra hole, Pedersen edged out England’s Georgia Hall and secured the US$150,000 winner’s cheque in the inaugural Saudi Ladies International on Sunday at the King Abdullah Economic City close to the western city of Jeddah.
“I’m so happy to be the first winner of this event,” Pedersen said in a statement.
“It’s been such a fantastic experience to be here in Saudi Arabia.”
But Amnesty International and other rights groups said the event glossed over Saudi’s poor human rights record and the jailing of several women activists who have called for reforms.
The appearance of female golfers, dressed in casual Tshirts and trousers, is a striking anomaly in Saudi Arabia, an ultra-conservative Muslim nation that has long imposed a strict dress code on women.
As part of a sweeping liberalisation drive, de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has accelerated investment in glitzy sports and entertainment events in a bid to improve its reputation.
In March, the kingdom hosted the world’s richest horse race, after staging the Italian and Spanish football Super Cups last year.
It already hosts the Dakar Rally, a 12-day marathon through the Arabian desert, and the allelectric Formula E series, in addition to an array of boxing, golf and tennis events.
And this month, Saudi Arabia announced it will host a Formula One Grand Prix for the first time in 2021.
The expanded sporting schedule is part of a push to draw more international tourists, business and investment, as the kingdom embarks on reforms designed to lessen its reliance on oil revenues.