Saudi Arabia’s tightening grip on the world of international sport over recent years is well documented – but it is not just footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo that are being lured to the once-hermetic kingdom.
The country is quickly establishing a name for itself as a high-end food and drink hub as it pushes to reshape its image and economy.
Celebrity chefs such as Wolfgang Puck and Jason Atherton, as well as big brands from London such as Scott’s of Mayfair, Sexy Fish, and Gymkhana, are just a few of those who have opened or announced plans to open restaurants in the country.
Yet as Saudi Arabia’s restaurant industry explodes, campaign groups warn the rapid influx of international chefs and restaurateurs could be used by the Kingdom to distract from its poor record on human rights.
“For years it’s been clear the Saudi authorities were willing to spend significant sums of money to sportswash the country’s appalling human rights record – and the gambit here seems to be that the glitzier end of the international catering business can achieve the same thing,” says, Peter Frankental, UK economic affairs director at Amnesty International.
…
Now, the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed Bin Salman al Saud – or MBS – has opened the country’s deep pockets to lure the world’s biggest chefs and restaurateurs, offering huge financial incentives to open up. » | Daniel Woolfson | Friday, July 7, 2023
