LETTER TO NEWCASTLE CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES

Dear Newcastle City Council candidate,

I am writing to you on behalf of NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing (NUFCFAS), as you are a candidate to be a Newcastle upon Tyne City Councillor in the elections in May.

As you are no doubt aware, Newcastle United Football Club was bought by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) in October 2021.

At the time of the takeover politicians in the North East of England, including Newcastle City Council, expressed the hope that Saudi engagement with the city, its institutions and the people, through ownership of Newcastle United Football Club could somehow improve the human rights situation in the country. Unfortunately, this has not happened. In 2025, the regime broke its own gruesome record for executions in one year when 256 death sentences were carried out.

It is important that Newcastle City Council has a clear public stance against human rights abuses committed by the ultimate owners of Newcastle United Football Club. 

This is why we are writing to you.

The Chairman of the Saudi PIF is Mohammed Bin Salman, the Saudi Crown Prince. The Chairman of Newcastle United, Yasir al-Rumayyan is Governor of PIF, which has been implicated in a substantial amount of human rights abuses.

A delegation from the Saudi human rights organisation ALQST and Reprieve visited Newcastle upon Tyne in February 2025 in order to speak with leaders of the City Council about links between the City Council and the Saudi PIF.

When they met with leaders of Newcastle City Council, including City Council leader Karen Kilgour, ALQST made a number of requests to the City Council.

You can read them here below:

1. Publish a statement about this meeting (social media, or website), with explicit mentions of political prisoners (PoCs).

2. Publish a statement in support of prosecuted Saudi PoCs, reaffirming the Council’s commitments to human rights in the city, including with respect to Newcastle United FC and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).

3. Send a letter to the Saudi PIF regarding HRW’s report “the man who bought the world”, inquiring about the links made in the report between the Saudi PIF and human rights abuses.

4. “Adopt” as a City Council, prisoners held in Saudi Arabia such as Manahel al-Otaibi and Mohammad al-Rabiah, and the minors sentenced to death. Publicise their cases, and raise them with the Chairman of Newcastle United FC, Yasir al-Rumayyan.

5. Consider renaming a street near St James’ Park (Newcastle United FC’s stadium) in honour and in support of Saudi human rights defenders.

6. Establish a forum between the City Council and human rights activists/defenders, with regular bi-monthly meetings to monitor human rights situation in Saudi Arabia and develop appropriate responses.

7. Monitor closely and oppose any use of the city and region as a sportswashing vehicle for the Saudi regime. (The Saudi state has already used NUFC’s stadium, standing on council/city owned land, to play international football matches). Raise a picture of City Council “adopted” Saudi PoC in the public space where any Saudi-linked

events may take place.

8. Liaise with the North East of England trade union movement to look at the implications of investments in Newcastle upon Tyne by companies such a NOON given the shocking details of mistreatment of workers in Saudi Arabia by the Newcastle United FC sponsor.

As yet, none of these 8 points have been acted on by the Council.

Finally, the present Newcastle City Council made a Net Zero 2030 pledge. Newcastle United chairman Yasir al-Rumayyan is also chairman of  Aramco, which is the world’s largest oil producer, worth around $1.6 trillion, making Aramco the world’s largest polluter and it remains deeply committed to expanding fossil fuel production.

Aramco is 98.5% owned by the Saudi Arabian state which also owns Newcastle United Football Club. In the past Newcastle City councillors and officials have made it clear they would welcome Saudi investment in the city, although little has been forthcoming. 

NUFCFAS is asking you as a council candidate to say whether you think it appropriate that the city should welcome investment from Saudi Arabia when a major part of their sports sponsorship strategy is to block international climate action and protect its fossil fuel profits? Policies which on paper Newcastle City Council is opposed to. What will be your position as a new councillor on this issue?    

Can you assure me that if elected to Newcastle upon Tyne City Council in May 2026, you will do what you can to abide by the 8 requests above and to ensure that the City Council does as well?

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Page

NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing

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