Reactions to MotoGP's plans to race in Saudi Arabia are mostly negative

It may be years before a MotoGP round actually happens in the kingdom, but a memorandum of understanding has been signed, indicating both parties hope to run a race at a new circuit being built and also to set up a Road to MotoGP program to give young racers an opportunity to develop their talents.

Critics call this "sportswashing," at effort by the Saudi regime to distract attention from its human rights record by supporting and hosting major sporting events. The biggest examples are the LIV Golf professional tour, which has divided the world of professional golf, and Formula One, which ran its first race in the kingdom last year and raced again this year despite an attack on a nearby oil facility that left smoke billowing in the air as teams arrived. Earlier, the Saudis attracted the Dakar Rally to run entirely within their country, instead of the previous route across South America.

I took a look at the responses to the tweet on the MotoGP Twitter account announcing the agreement. Looking at 100 responses at random, 91 were negative, five were positive, and the other four comments I wouldn't classify as either positive or negative on the event. Most referred to Saudi Arabia's human rights record, with examples such as the murder and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the lesser rights afforded women, the imprisonment of women for asking to be allowed to drive cars, and a recent case in which a woman was sentenced to 34 years in prison for tweeting messages in favor of political reform.

Those responding negatively ranged from fans with a few followers to people with experience working in the MotoGP paddock.

Sportswashing for one of the worst regimes in the world. Where women are second class citizens and journalists get sawed into pieces. SHAME ON YOU!

— Liana Lixandru 🏳️‍🌈🌬🎐 (@nonfictionred) September 5, 2022

Terrible. I believe you will eventually regret this.

— Chris Jonnum (@ChrisJonnum) September 5, 2022

It didn't take long for the #BonesawGP hashtag to appear, along with other references to the Khashoggi murder.

Really looking forward to being a journalist at a race in a country where journalists get hacked to death for the crime of being journalists 👍 https://t.co/sX1zLT78ch

— Simon Patterson (@denkmit) September 5, 2022

Others also pointed out that the announcement followed other efforts by Dorna Sports, MotoGP's organizing body, to tout its growing number of female fans. Then it announced plans to race in a country where women have far fewer rights than men.

David Emmett of motomatters.com said he would not cover a race in Saudi Arabia.

If the Bonesaw GP happens, the coverage on https://t.co/DFaco6DOKf will be a plain listing of results, and championship standings after that. Nothing more.

I will write about other aspects of the sport instead, unrelated to that race. https://t.co/UjhAvEhWRF

— David Emmett (@motomatters) September 5, 2022

The agreement is just a memorandum of understanding, not a binding contract to put on a race. There's still a lot that could happen to derail the plans and a MotoGP race is probably several years away under the best of circumstances. The new racetrack that would be built to FIA and FIM standards to host the race is part of the plans for a sprawling entertainment complex at Qiddiya, near the capital of Riyadh. Those plans also call for a massive amusement park and other entertainment and sports facilities, but right now it's mostly desert.

If plans for a MotoGP race in Saudi Arabia do go ahead, there's no doubt the Saudis will pay Dorna a lot of money, just as Qatar — the other Middle Eastern country to host a MotoGP round, and one with a poor (though not Saudi-level) human rights record — does. Maybe everyone in countries teeming with MotoGP fans will set aside the doubts and just watch a Saudi GP on TV as usual. Maybe the women Dorna is trying to attract to the sport won't be put off. But it seems like a gamble. Dorna better hope the money is worth it.