LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman Tells Dan Abrams Saudi Arabia Has Learned From ‘Mistakes’ About Human Rights Violations
LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman told Mediaite founder and NewsNation host Dan Abrams that the Saudi Arabian government has learned from its “mistakes” over human rights violations.
LIV Golf has been heavily criticized since its 2022 launch. Saudi Arabia‘s Public Investment Fund supports the startup golf league financially. In 2018, Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, and the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, was accused by the U.S. intelligence agencies of approving the assassination of Khashoggi. In May 2022, Norman referred to Khashoggi’s murder as a “mistake.”
“The whole thing about Saudi Arabia and Khashoggi and human rights… talk about it, but also talk about the good the country is doing in changing its culture. Look, we’ve all made mistakes. And you just want to learn by those mistakes. And you just want to learn by those mistakes and how you can correct them going forward,” Norman said.
On Thursday night, Norman was a guest on Abrams’ NewsNation program, Dan Abrams Live, and Abrams read the statement the LIV Golf CEO made in May and asked him if the Saudi government has changed.
“Do you really think the Saudis have been learning from their mistakes?” Abrams asked.
“Look, I think everybody learns from their mistakes,” Norman answered.
Abrams quickly pressed Norman and asked, “but have the Saudis?”
Norman explained that he has spent a lot of time in Saudi Arabia and claimed he has seen the change in their country through golf.
“Yes, I do,” Norman said. “From what I’m seeing. I’ve been over there before this role of being CEO of LIV Golf Investments. I’ve been over there building a golf course in Saudi Arabia. Now, this is way before any of this ‘who-ha-ha’ erupted. I was there for a reason ’cause they see the value in what golf is a force for good, and it’s proving it out in their country today.”
The 2002 World Golf Hall of Famer explained how he had built golf courses throughout different countries in the Middle East, so the game of golf helped change those countries.
“Golf, like I said, Dan, is an interesting barometer to where it goes,” Norman continued. “Golf diplomacy is something I’ve been extremely passionate about for more than a quarter of a century. I’ve traveled the world my whole life, and golf diplomacy to me means more than anything else. So if we can use golf as a platform to grow a country, improve a country, fantastic, hallelujah.”
Watch above via NewsNation.
