Saudi Arabia’s proposed takeover of Newcastle United has sparked controversy, with officials and human rights groups expressing concerns over Riyadh’s poor rights record, broadcast piracy and the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.  Dr James Dorsey, a Senior Fellow at RSIS says that while the “UAE’s approach has been always highly commercialised,” as the Abu Dhabi United Group owns many clubs across the world beside Manchester city, Qatar’s approach is less about money and much more related to soft power and the promotion of Qatar as a sports hub.