Lionel Messi is the new ambassador of the Saudi Ministry of Tourism.
Lionel Messi is the new ambassador of the Saudi Ministry of Tourism. Saudi Arabia has been trying hard to move on from the case of Jamal Khashoggi.
Lionel Andrés Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team.
Jamal Khashoggi was cut into pieces and put in several suitcases to be taken out of the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Eighteen of the defendants were charged with “premeditated murder with the intent to cause monstrous suffering to the victim.”
The scandal took on international connotations. The Saudi government, cornered by the horror of the events, immediately mobilized economic resources to build “armed” favorable spaces in the media.
Saudi tried to buy the television rights of the Premier League to control some portals and information spaces associated with public opinion.
He didn’t make it. In October 2021, Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF acquired ownership rights to football team Newcastle United for €350 million. It instantly became the richest club in the world.
Months ago, the Saudi Kingdom tried to hire Cristiano Ronaldo as a tourist ambassador. The Portuguese rejected the offer for not reaching an economic agreement.
“We are delighted that Messi explores the treasure of the Red Sea, Jeddah station and our ancient history,” the Tourism Ministry said.
The Argentine player was also received by one of the “strongest” women of the regime, Princess Haifa Mohammed Al-Saud, responsible for designing and implementing strategies related to the tourism sector.
