Following the news that PIF-backed Noon has become Newcastle United’s shirt sleeve partner;

Conrad Wiacek, Head of Sport Analysis at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“While the issue of Saudi involvement in the takeover and ownership of Newcastle United is still unclear, the deal between PIF-backed Noon and the club shows that Saudi influence will be significant moving forward.

“By paying well over the odds for a sleeve partnership, with the deal estimated to be worth $5 million per season, Noon is showing that the PIF will use the same loopholes that the Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City used to circumvent Financial Fair Play rules—allowing Newcastle United to spend in the transfer market. Outside the top six, sleeve sponsorship deals in the Premier League are typically worth between $500,000 to $2 million annually.

“Given the Premier League’s global footprint in terms of media coverage, Noon now has a platform to expand beyond its Middle Eastern market and potentially become a global player in ecommerce: something the airline Etihad did to great effect.

“With Qatar Airways now becoming Paris Saint Germain’s new front-of-shirt partner, in a deal worth in excess of $80 million annually, the issues around governance and sportwashing highlights the practice of Middle Eastern owners providing financial support to teams in which they are heavily involved—despite protestations to the contrary, in the case of Newcastle United.”